The Only Exception
by aichioluv
Summary: Four stories of four people who lost their faith in relationships. Could they ever find back the confidence to love again? Current story: Successful hotel owner Vincent Valentine finds himself struggling to live day by day. What secrets did he have in his past? Revealed pairings: CloudxTifa, AerithxZack, Vincentx?
1. Tifa: An Old Friend

**The Only Exception**

Hello, new and old readers! Let me start by saying that I've written all my disclaimers and author's starting notes in my writing blog (aichioluv dot blogspot dot sg), so I suggest you take a look, don't say that I didn't warn you!

"The Only Exception" is one of my favourite songs and thus, here's a story on it (because we fanfic writers are just soooooo original). I shan't waste more time, I just hope that you will enjoy my little story!

* * *

**Story 1 – Tifa**

**Chapter 1 – An Old Friend**

Even though it was past midnight, seven-year old Tifa Lockhart could not sleep. Something was going on downstairs but she was too afraid to check it out. She pulled her blanket closer to her chin. She also grabbed her chocobo plushie, a gift from her mother who left for Midgar recently for a business trip. Tifa held the plushie tightly and tried to squeeze horrible thoughts of burglary and child-napping out of her head. Nibelheim was a safe place compared to the other towns, still the horror stories of children disappearing and never returning sometimes haunted her… especially in nights like this.

"Fall asleep, fall asleep." Her tiny voice commanded herself to sleep but she felt more awake than ever. The noises came louder downstairs. _Bad person, go away go away! _She thought inside. _Don't hurt me and pap…_

She suddenly sat up straight and stared at the door. In her fears of being hurt she forgot about whether her father was safe, or not. Her feet peeked out of her blanket and she wondered with her heart pounding. What if the bad person was going after her father instead?

She quickly got off her bed and slipped her small feet into her bedroom slippers. She bit her lip and summoned strength in her to face the worst sort of bad guy that was behind her door. Tifa was frightened, no doubt. However, the thought of her father in danger did not give her more room to care for herself.

The door creaked open and Tifa peered out. She sighed in relief when she saw that there was nobody standing behind her door. Her ears picked up what seemed to be a long conversation downstairs. Voices of a female voice, calm and composed and a man's voice, soft but definitely not composed. Tifa tip-toed down the narrow staircase and leaned against the railings softly, listening to the conversation in the kitchen.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Timothy Lockhart." The female voice said. "It was a very tragic accident. I could only wish that my message is false information."

"It's fine." Tifa heard her father croak. "Going to Midgar was never a good decision… I told her that, but she never did listen…" His voice gave way and he whimpered a little.

"Arrangements can be made for you and your daughter, if you need it."

"Thank you, officer."

"You're welcome." The female officer replied. Tifa could sense that the female felt awkward in the kitchen. "Should I… leave you alone, Mr. Lockhart?"

There was no reply, but the sound of the door opening and then closing again told Tifa that the policewoman left the kitchen by the back door. She frowned, not understanding what had just happened.

"Carifah…" She heard her father say to himself. "I told you that going to Midgar was not wise. Why didn't you listen to me? Why…?" He broke down and swore, banging the tables with his fists. Tifa was shocked to hear sobs coming from the kitchen. She has never seen her father cry before and she did not know what to do.

"Papa…" Tifa cried from the staircase. She ran down the staircase and hugged her father tightly. The man, upon feeling the embrace of his daughter, held her close and continued weeping. "Papa…" She asked. "Where's Mama? You said that I'll be able to see her tomorrow morning."

Timothy's grip on her tightened. "Little Tifa." He could barely choke out. "Mama won't be home tomorrow morning."

"Not tomorrow?" Tifa pouted. "She promised me that she would come back tonight."

Timothy paused, not knowing how to explain to his daughter that her mother could no longer fulfill that promise. "Mama is in a better place…" Timothy said quietly, not releasing his daughter from his bosom, as if Death was capable of appearing and taking his daughter away as well. "Mama will not be with us here anymore, only in our hearts."

"Papa?"

"… Everything will be alright."

* * *

8 years later…

It was midnight, but fifteen year-old Tifa could not sleep. She no longer feared the nasty night terrors – she grew out of the childish dreams the minute she understood the reality of death.

_It was almost 8 years ago that Dad… _She pulled her lips into a tight line, not even wanting to mention it. Tifa was grieved to hear of her mother's accidental death in Midgar years ago, but she hardly mentioned her mother too often in front of her father.

She stuck her feet out of the bed and slid off it quietly. She opened her bedroom door and listened. The light downstairs told Tifa that her father was still awake. There was no one else in the family that could be awake, since there were only Tifa and her father left. Tifa stayed up at the top of the stairs, in case she disturbed her father who sounded like he was in the living room.

"Carifah…" Her skin tingled when she heard her father call her mother's name. "8 years have passed since you've passed away. Tifa has been a good girl and you should see her. She looks beautiful and all grown up. But you wouldn't be surprised, because she looks exactly like how you did when I first met you."

Tifa pressed her cheek against the cold railing, wondering how many times in the past 8 years did her father 'talk' to her mother like that.

"… Many things surely happened while you were gone. But my love, I haven't changed." His voice was tense and high-strung. "I've tried to move on and be a good widower. But I can't. Losing you had been the lowest point in my life, and I can't pick myself up anymore. Why… Why did you have to go?"

Tifa bit back a sob. How many times did her father cry and mourn over her mother? She quickly ran back to her room and hid underneath the blanket, crying softly for the pain that her father often concealed in front of her. It was not fair. Her father had barely begun his life with her mother before she was taken back to the Lifestream.

"Why are our souls so easily destructible?" She murmured. "It makes the love so easily betrayed…" She bit her lower lip, leaving the remainder of her thoughts unspoken.

_So much for eternal love. It's not fair that we throw ourselves away in the name of love, because when Death claims the human… what amount of time we've spent with the special someone, what we've given ourselves in love…_

… _Are all in vain._

* * *

"Tifa!" Aerith's voice broke the raven-haired girl's thoughts. Tifa's head shot up and saw Aerith's smiling face.

"Hello, Aerith." Tifa smiled.

Despite her father's protests, Tifa insisted on going to a university in Midgar when she was nineteen, instead of continuing her studies in Nibelheim. She has never been outside of her little town so she was initially afraid. However, her landlady, Elmrya Gainsborough, was more than welcoming. She ensured that Tifa was well-taken care of, and her daughter, Aerith, soon became fast friends with her, since they were going to the same university together. Tifa did not want to burden her father further with her school fees so she had to earn her pocket money by taking a part-time job in Midgar's bar, 7th Heaven. She did not mind, though. She enjoyed what she was doing.

Naturally, Aerith became one of her best friends, but their friendship was a lot deeper than that. Aerith too, suffered a nasty experience with love, when her mother was abandoned by her own father. Their lack of faith in love was the common ground that they shared.

"Did you hear?" Aerith sat down across Tifa's counter. "KAI is releasing a new album next month!"

Tifa put down the glass cup that she was wiping. "Oh, Aerith." She smiled. "You're too smitten with him."

"Am not!"

KAI is one of the newest singers in the entertainment industry. Tifa has to admit, the singer is good. He is not one of those deep, rich voices, but a young voice with sincerity to bring his songs to as many people as he can. Tifa loved his ballads, although she was not quite as smitten as Aerith. Aerith is a good singer herself, so Tifa understood that her admiration was not ungrounded.

_For someone who swore she'll never fall in love… _Tifa thought with a sly smile. _She's falling in love pretty easily._

"Tifa!" Aerith pouted. "I know you're thinking that I'm in love with KAI!"

The raven-haired girl stuck her tongue out playfully. "Caught in the act," she admitted sheepishly.

Aerith groaned. "But I'm not, I'm serious! Crazy fans in love with KAI stalk him outside the building. I'm merely an admirer." She laughed. "Then again, what's there not to like about him and his songs?" She sighed. "If only we can see his face."

It was probably a marketing stunt, that KAI's face was never revealed. All images of him were only cartoon pictures of a man with burning red hair and a large studded cross around his neck. He also wore a ring that spanned across his second to fourth finger; a ring that spelled 'KAI' across the fingers. That became a very successful merchandise because everyone started to wear the KAI rings. Till now, close to a year after his first album, KAI had never had a concert, never been on a television talk show, never had his pictures taken by paparazzi. The singer was just as elusive as he was talented.

"Well," Tifa chuckled. "Sometimes, falling in love with a guy starts from the simplest admiration, you know." She regretted her words immediately.

Aerith glanced at Tifa with an expression that spoke more than it seemed. "Oh Tifa," she sighed. "You know that I won't do that." She was not referring to the admiration, but the fact that she will never be interested in falling in love.

Tifa was relieved when she saw someone entering the bar. "Good evening!" She said. Her face lit up when she saw a familiar face. He was one of the many friends she had made in university. "Hey, there!" She grinned.

"Hey Tifa! Oi, Aerith!"

Without even turning around, Aerith groaned and buried her face in her hands. "It's Reno, isn't he? I gotta split."

Tifa raised an eyebrow. "What's happening?"

"Don't run away from me, yo." Quick as lightning, Reno appeared beside Aerith and placed an arm around her shoulder casually. Aerith did little to hide her disappointment. "Come on, Aerith." Reno begged. "I really need your help for Christmas. Don't waste your talent like that!"

Tifa turned to the redhead. "The Student Union, huh?"

"Ain't you smart, yo?" Reno grinned at Tifa. "There's a mini fair visiting Midgar for two months and they've kindly allowed us to borrow some equips' for our Christmas celebration. It's like, tons of games, rides and a huge Ferris Wheel!"

"Sounds like fun." Tifa smiled.

"Totally. But it'll be even better if Aerith helps us out."

"I am not going to help you!" Aerith shook her head so hard, her chestnut curls threatening to drop off her head.

Tifa smiled. Aerith has a natural talent of singing. However, she really has something against love, because she has sworn off singing love songs since she was a kid. Nothing, absolutely nothing will convince her to sing love songs. That did not stop her from listening to love ballads from KAI, though. She had mentioned something about KAI being more sincere in his songs than the other mainstream singers.

"I won't sing!" Aerith said crossly, shaking her head once again.

"Why would you need her to sing love songs?" Tifa frowned. "Isn't it Christmas?"

"Exactly, I need her to sing love songs so that we can prepare them students for the Tunnel of Love!" Reno grinned and gave a thumbs-up.

"Tunnel… of Love?" Tifa raised an eyebrow. "Now THAT sounds corny. Besides, I don't think the Tunnel of Love is a suitable ride for Christmas…"

"Whatever it is, I'm not singing love songs. It's final." Aerith said, placing her hands firmly on the counter to emphasise her point. "I'll talk to you later." She waved at Tifa and strode off.

Reno watched the brunette walk off with pure disappointment. With Reno, it was easy to read his expression. He turned to Tifa with pleading eyes. "Tifa, couldn't you get her to-"

She shook her head. "I couldn't get her to sing love songs even when it's just the two of us. She's stubborn like that, and I'm not saying that I don't understand her." She glanced at Reno. "Why don't YOU sing?"

"Are you pulling my chocobo leg?" Reno groaned. "I can't sing even if you threaten me with a gun on my head, I'll sing so badly that the gun will malfunction. And please," he raised a hand in front of Tifa. "Don't even bring up that dude's name!"

Tifa giggled. "But you really look like KAI! At least," She stuck out her tongue. "The cartoon version of it."

"You too?"

"Alright, I won't tease you anymore. But…" Tifa smiled cheekily. "But won't you get a pint of beer? If not…" She pointed at the door. "I suggest you hurry back to the dorms, Reno."

"I'll do better. I'll do both." He smirked. "Gimme two bottles. Rude will need one himself." Within minutes, Tifa placed two bottles of beer on the table and accepted the money with thanks.

When Reno left, she looked around. The bar was not as full tonight, only the occasional womanizer and some business associates, but they were all seated at the back of the bar. Tifa picked up her glass cup and started wiping it again, musing about the conversation between Aerith, Reno and herself.

Unlike her 'backwater village' Nibelheim, Midgar is much more vibrant than her town. Most celebrations happen in Midgar, which is considered to be the capital city of the western continent. Despite Aerith's apathy, Tifa was excited to participate in the festivities. The university of Midgar had tons of parties and events to join. Tifa hoped that the celebration will be successful and enjoyable. As for Aerith…

"Hey, bartender!" The half-drunk business associate called from the back, breaking her train of thought. "Another bottle of scotch whiskey, make it snappy!"

"Coming right up!" Tifa responded. She set on preparing the decanter and the bottle, when she heard someone walking into the bar. "Welcome to 7th Heaven!" She announced, although she did not turn around to greet the customer (something that her boss will be mad at if he found out). "What would you like?"

A quiet, contemplative voice replied, "Orange juice, please."

Tifa almost laughed. _Orange juice? In a bar? _"Alright, got it!" She swiftly poured the drink into the glass, placed a straw and the paper umbrella. She turned around, saying, "I've got your orange juice right here…" She paused when she saw the face of the man sitting at her counter. The glass of orange juice almost slipped from her hands. "Cloud?"

The surprise on Cloud's face was mutual. "… Tifa?" He asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"Hey!" The drunk business associate called, louder this time. "Ain't got the time for you to dilly-dally!"

"Coming!" Tifa hollered back. The blond quickly nodded her to deliver her drinks. Tifa barely registered what she did – setting the orange juice on the bar counter, taking the bottle of whiskey to the back of the bar, and walking back.

Tifa straightened her skirt and found herself feeling confused, curious and shy all at the same time. "Hi," mumbled she. "It's been a long time."

Cloud smiled. "Yeah. So… what are you doing here?"

Quickly, Tifa filled in the details of her arrival to Midgar and also the events that happened in Nibelheim in the last two years that he was not around. "Papa was worried, but I think he'll be fine." She did not need to explain about her mother – everyone knew the tragic carriage accident that happened on the way to Midgar too many years ago. Quickly changing the topic, Tifa asked, "How is Midgar doing for you? You left… all too sudden, all of us barely had time to say goodbye."

Cloud shrugged. "Midgar is hard to get used to, but you'll get the hang of it." Tifa noticed that he did not address leaving Nibelheim. "So, working here, huh?" He grinned.

Tifa decided not to probe for his answer. "Yeah, it's a pretty nice and comfortable job, contrary to popular belief." She gestured at the variety of customers in the bar.

"It's been a while since I last saw my childhood friend, let's catch up a bit, shall we?" He quickly added sheepishly. "That is, if you don't mind."

* * *

The awkwardness quickly dissolved as the two friends caught up on each other's lives. Hours melted away into minutes as they laughed and talked like before. Tifa could balance her bartending job and her conversation pretty well – exception of that already drunk executive who insisted that he had paid for something that he did not even order. Tifa barely noticed her fatigue. She was glad to see Cloud again.

A long time ago, they were friends in Nibelheim. It all started with Tifa stepping in to help a group of boys from bullying Cloud. The young Cloud had a beautiful, somewhat girlish face. That caused him to be the butt of many jokes. Tifa hated it. However, her interference was the start of their friendship. They had been good friends ever since…

… _Until he decided to leave for Midgar without a second word._ Tifa thought miserably.

She barely caught what Cloud said. "How long have you been in Midgar already?"

"Oh!" She gasped, wondering if he had caught her daydreaming. "About two months ago. My friend brought me to the shopping plaza, but all I really know is the way to school, the bar and home." She answered, striking it off with her fingers.

"Then you have not really seen Midgar yet." Cloud chuckled. "If you aren't busy, perhaps I can bring you around Midgar sometime soon?"

"Really?" Tifa beamed. "Aren't you busy with work?" Cloud paused. "I mean, if you are busy then I'll just bug my friend to bring me," she continued.

"Let me just check my schedule." He drew out an organizer and flipped through the pages, mumbling softly to himself. Finally, he snapped his organizer shut. "Nope," He smiled. "Seems like I'm quite free next week."

Tifa cocked her head, a little suspicious. There were many things that they talked about, but one thing he kept skirting on was what he was doing in Midgar. "I'm curious," frowned Tifa. She peered at him. "What are you doing, as a job?"

Cloud blinked. "Well, you know… This and that…"

"I want a more specific answer!" She laughed. Was it her imagination, or did Cloud look extra uncomfortable? Tifa felt horrible for being so demanding. She was only meeting him for the first time in years. "Look, I don't mean to sound pushy." She stretched her hands out. "I won't probe anymore."

"Hey, it's not that I want to skirt the issue…" He said apologetically. "Alright, I will let you in on this secret. And really, you are the only one who knows it." Tifa gulped. Suddenly, she was not sure that she wanted to hear his secret anymore. Then, Cloud leaned closer and whispered with a tint of mischief in his eyes. "What if I told you that I'm KAI?"

Tifa immediately pulled back. "You are pulling my chocobo leg," she quoted Reno, laughing. To think that she took him seriously!

"I'm not!" He paused, deciding within himself. "Okay, look," From his satchel, he pulled out something to put on his hand. "Look," he said quietly while showing her his hand. "The KAI ring."

"Cloud, everyone has it." Tifa narrowed her eyes. "I may be a village girl, but I'm not born yesterday." She made a face. "You don't have to make fun of me."

Cloud removed the ring to show her the engraving inside. Inside, it was engraved "KAI". "Only the real deal has this." He gave it to her to look at the engraving inside. "Look Tifa, I have been so secretive about everything because I don't want my identity exposed. The company desires that I stay anonymous."

"Then… Then why tell me?" asked Tifa softly, pressing the ring back into his hand.

The man's mouth twitched into a smile. "You wanted to know, didn't you?"

She coloured at how stupid her question was. "You didn't need to tell me, Cloud. Yet you revealed everything to me when I asked. Why?" Her unease grew. Where were they heading in this conversation?

Cloud gazed upon her. "Because I want to, isn't that reason enough?" Tifa blushed at his answer, but tried not to react. "Hey Tifa… would you still like me to bring you around? I may be busy and all, but I would love to go out and show you around. That is, if you are comfortable with that."

_Why is he so serious all of a sudden? _Tifa resisted the urge to squirm away. He looked so handsome up close… "Alright, alright," she relented, deciding not to think further about his looks. "Of course I'll love you to bring me around."

The glad look on his face was unmistakable. "Best thing I've heard all day, Tifa." He smiled, holding up his phone to exchange phone numbers. "Great, I'll give you a call to see if you're free soon, yeah?" He smiled. "It was really great to see you again, Tifa."

"You too, Cloud…" said Tifa, watching him walk out of the empty bar. "You too…"

* * *

Tifa Lockhart felt as though she and Cloud Strife had been friends forever. Being with Cloud was natural; neither of them felt awkward. True to his word, Cloud had been giving all his free time to Tifa to bring her around Midgar.

As for Cloud's secret identity as KAI, initially Tifa was skeptical. Cloud did not want to sing for her or even talk about his work. Tifa did notice, however, that Cloud was always on the phone. His 'job hours' were irregular and there were even times that he told her information that were revealed in newspapers a few days later. Tifa was confused, but then again, his job was not important compared to the fun times they had together.

Whenever they were out, there were a few topics that they often skirted, or mentioned very briefly. They avoided talking about Nibelheim, and also about his job as KAI. Cloud told Tifa that the company had wanted his identity to be a secret, so he would get into trouble if the public knew.

Tifa was not bothered by the suspicious behavior. She was having loads of fun with Cloud. "I still find it amazing," laughed Tifa after an anecdote from Cloud. "That we are talking endlessly now. What happened last time? When we are kids?" She giggled. "Don't be offended but I don't remember talking to you as much!" To that, Cloud smiled, shrugged and gave little contribution as an answer.

Truthfully, Tifa remembered how spending time with Cloud was like. She often stepped in to speak up for him when the other children did not want to play with him. She felt good doing so – she could not bear to see anyone else being left out or left alone. It was something that stuck as her personality in her growing years.

With Cloud around, Tifa never found a dull moment. He was a good tour guide and informant. He brought Tifa to the places with the best views and the shops with the best deals for chocobo plushies. He remembered that Tifa loved chocobos.

_I can't wait to see him again…_

* * *

Tifa blinked. Did she just express desire to see him?

"So…" Aerith teased, breaking Tifa's thoughts. "Daydreaming about you and Cloud Strife, huh?"

Tifa flushed. "You are sprouting nonsense."

"I'm not and you know it." Aerith teased, bouncing on her bed. "Or else you wouldn't be laying out that nice dress on the chair tonight."

Tifa rolled her eyes. "It's just Cloud bringing me to see the famous Sector 4 shrine."

"Yeah, so it's perfectly fine to take out your best dress!"

She smoothened out the wrinkle on her dress. "There's an end-autumn shrine festival that, he said, is a must-go because it's the last shrine festival before winter begins. They have the best fireworks of the season," Tifa said.

"Sure, sure." Grinned Aerith with her arms folded in pseudo belief.

"Aerith…" Tifa looked at her best friend.

Aerith shook her head. "No, I'm not upset that you've found someone that you like. In fact, I think it's wonderful!"

"I don't like Cloud!" Tifa persisted. "He's just a friend!"

"Well, let's just _imagine_ that you do, alright?" Aerith grinned. "I feel happy for you." Aerith reached forward and held Tifa's hand. "We both suffered a lot and have a negative impression on love. Maybe, just maybe, it's time for you to face the idea of you falling for someone. And there's nothing wrong with that."

"…" Tifa looked away. "I can't like him. I can't like anyone."

"Tifa…" Aerith squeezed her hand tighter. "Will you allow yourself to be binded by your past forever? Now that you have that opportunity, why aren't you giving it a try?"

Tifa stared at Aerith's reassuring smile. She wanted to believe in that. She really did.

Aerith smiled back. "Give it a try. Everything will be alright."

Tifa's heart pounded. At those words, the memory of her father saying the same words, the image of her father crying over the photograph of her mother slammed hard into her mind, jolting her out of her hope. Tifa tensed, shaking her head. "They won't," she insisted, her voice cracking.

Her friend sighed softly. "No one is going to die just because you love them," Aerith said gently.

"And no one will run away from you because you love them too," Tifa blurted. Her words were like a cold slap to Aerith, who dropped Tifa's hand and clammed her mouth shut. Immediately, Tifa regretted it. "I'm sorry," she mumbled. "I didn't mean it that way-"

"No, you're right," Aerith said curtly. "We all have our demons. It was wrong of me to expect you to get over yours without considering mine." Aerith stood up. "Goodnight," she said stiffly before she left Tifa's room.

Tifa did not reply. But as the door closed, she curled up on the bed and closed her eyes. She felt horrible for saying such things to hurt Aerith. She was the only friend she had when she first came to Midgar alone. She was the only person who could understood at some level how she felt.

"Will my friends leave me alone, just like how you did, mama?" She mumbled to herself as she drifted into a dreamless slumber.

* * *

I hope you enjoyed the first chapter! Please read and review!


	2. Tifa: Festival

**The Only Exception**

**Story 1 – Tifa **

**Chapter 2 - Festival**

When Tifa saw Cloud the following night, he seemed to be a little uncomfortable. Cloud did not really look at her and mumbled single word answers. Tifa frowned at his unusual attitude. Was it something she said? Or was it something she did not do?

"Is... Is everything alright?" She asked.

"... Yeah."

Tifa sighed and pulled Cloud's arm. "What are you doing?" She demanded. "You are acting weirdly."

"It's really nothing!" Cloud stammered.

Tifa bit her lip and said nothing more. She was unaccustomed to this side of him. She missed his cheery personality. Not as the little Cloud that she used to know and want to protect, but the cheery side of Cloud that she had seen in the last few weeks.

Seeing her fallen countenance, Cloud groaned. "Hey Tifa, please don't be upset!" Cloud said frantically. "I didn't mean not to tell you."

"What happened?" She asked. "Is there anything that you are having trouble with that you cannot tell me?"

"No! Nothing serious like that! It's just that… it's just…" He covered his mouth in embarrassment. Tifa leaned closer so that she could hear him whisper. "I just think that you look really beautiful tonight."

Tifa pulled back quickly, her face now turning into a lovely shade of red too. "Oh." She looked away. "Thanks. I wasn't expecting that."

He laughed shyly. "You forced me to say it."

"I!" She stared at Cloud and started laughing. "It was my bad. Sorry, but thanks!" She smiled.

"Come!" He urged. "The shrine festival is about to start!"

Cloud was right – the festival was a must-go. Orange lanterns lined the stalls and lit the stone pavements. The aroma of delicious meatballs and beef broth filled the air. Games stall rang intermittent sound effects as a lucky child won a prize. Tifa glanced around her, eyes wide in delight. She was only familiar with Midgar's summer festival and did not know that the end-autumn festival was just as beautiful.

They played a variety of games and tried different foods. As night fell, the crowd grew as people struggled to find a good spot to enjoy the fireworks. Soon, Cloud and Tifa found themselves being jostled here and there amidst the throng. Tifa tried to keep up with Cloud's pace – how did he make it through the massive crowd with such ease?

"Ouch!" She cried when a man stepped on her toe. The man apologised, but she had lost sight of Cloud. "Cloud?" She called out.

There she saw him, much further than she expected. The blond spotted her and quickly weaved through the crowds back to Tifa. "Hey, you okay?" He smiled. Tifa mumbled that she was fine. "Come, let's go, if not we will not have space to sit and enjoy the fireworks." He stretched out a hand towards her.

She felt her face growing hotter as she placed her hand in his. He grinned and pulled her gently through the crowd. _It's normal, Tifa, _she told herself. _He's just helping me move through the crowd easier. The hand-holding means nothing._ Tifa was once again amazed. Even with a person holding on to him, Cloud could somehow lead Tifa through the crowds without feeling like she was pushed from side to side.

"How did you do it?" She asked him. "You are really good at walking through crowds."

He opened his mouth, but did not immediately answer. "You know…" He said after a short pause. "My job requires me to weave through crowds easily."

Tifa realised that he had a point. KAI would need to be a master in that to avoid paparazzi and other unwanted attention. Her hand was warm in his, despite the cold. Tifa began to relax a little. She felt safe being with Cloud, but wondered about the implications of that thought. _Must be Aerith playing tricks in my mind. _She convinced herself.

They found a good place near the riverbank to sit. There was some time before the fireworks, but none of them felt awkward in each other's presence. Tifa glanced at Cloud from time to time, wondering what was it about Cloud that attracted her…

She covered her mouth in shock. _Attracted me? _She asked herself. _Am I really attracted to Cloud? _She glanced at Cloud again, who was sitting calmly, watching over the riverbank. _He has really grown so much over so many years… I…_

"Hmm?" Cloud glanced at her. "Is there something on my face?"

"No!" She hastily replied. "Only that…" She smiled. "You've really grown and changed so much. You are no longer the little boy that I used to protect when we were kids."

The blond laughed. "You forget that I'm older than you."

She blinked. "No way! But you!" She stared at him. Did she remember things wrongly? "I'm always the one protecting you, aren't I?"

Cloud had this knowing smile on his face. Tifa did not realise how cute that looked until now. "No, I allowed you to do that." He grinned. "You seemed to be really upset to see me alone and forgotten by others. So you always came to… take care of me. I was pretty fine on my own, you know."

Tifa opened her mouth, wanting to retort. However, what Cloud said had a point. She did not recall Cloud really crying and running towards her. She always took the initiative to keep Cloud company. "I'm sorry! I have mistaken!" She covered her face with her hands. "Come to think of it, it really seems to be that case!"

"It's alright, you know." He smiled. "I was not offended then. I'm certainly not offended now."

"It's just that… I just could not bear to see anyone left out." The words just flew out of her mouth before she could stop herself.

"I know."

Tifa stared at him again. "You do?"

"Somewhat," Cloud admitted. "I heard that you have lost your mother then. I guess… I guess you needed the company as much as you thought I did."

Tifa blushed. _Did he really see me as such a kid? _She thought, feeling embarrassed. Somewhere else in her heart, she felt a little happy that someone apart from her father had cared for her. "All this while…" she muttered. "I thought I was doing you some good by watching out for you. How embarrassing. Turns out…"

His voice was low and soft. "Turns out that actually, I'm the one watching over you," He murmured, leaning closer.

When Tifa turned, Cloud's face was really close to hers. "Cloud…" Tifa muttered, her heart thumping so loudly she wondered if he could hear her.

"Tifa…" Cloud reached out for her hand. "I still want to watch over you. Nothing has changed."

_Nothing has changed? _She wondered. _Do you mean that you had feelings for me? Your face is really close, Cloud… _She felt herself leaning in… _No… Tifa… Don't-_

Her very first kiss. It was nothing like she had expected. Then again, Tifa never expected that she wanted to fall in love. And here she was, kissing a boy whom she met only a few days ago.

She could not have asked for better.

* * *

"… That was pretty good fireworks, wasn't it?"

Tifa looked down. She was too embarrassed to look at the man beside her. "… Yeah…"

"Maybe we should go for another festival when we have the chance to." Beside her, Tifa could hear Cloud's smile in his voice, but she was still too shy to confirm it with her eyes.

"… Yeah." She smiled to herself. It was a strange feeling – to know that someone apart from your family cared so much for you. She never realised how amazing it was to be able to share memories with someone special. All the years of conversation that she and Cloud had missed out… they had lots to catch up. All the things that they could do and experience together… they can start doing now. Everything will be alright-

_No._

Tifa froze.

_No, it will not be._

Cloud stopped and turned to Tifa. "Tifa?" he asked in concern. "Is everything-"

Tifa pushed him away. "No, everything will not be alright." She shook her head. "I can't do this," She said. "I'm sorry."

"Hey…" Cloud reached out for her hand again. His voice had no strain or urgency, just genuine confusion to what was happening. "Is it just me? Did I get the wrong message? I thought that we had something…" He ran his hand through his blond spiky hair. "Look, if it's about me being KAI, I have something to confess-"

"No, it's not about you, or KAI, or anything for that matter." Tifa brought her gaze up to Cloud, whose expression was full of concern and anticipation. "It's me. I'm scared to give my feelings to anyone. I don't want anyone to end up like my mother." Cloud looked at her but did not answer. "I know it may sound stupid, since my mother is the only one who died in my life, but I don't like it."

"Nobody likes it, Tifa," said Cloud softly. "But we try to live life normally with the memory of our loved ones in mind."

Tifa looked at him, whose blue eyes were gazing upon her intently. Could she really trust him? Was she really going to let it go and give it a try? "I'm scared," she admitted.

"So am I." Cloud thumbed across her cheek gently. "Though it's for a reason you probably don't understand."

"Oh? Isn't that Cloud Strife?"

Immediately, he removed his hand from her face. Tifa glanced up at Cloud. Was it her imagination again, or did Cloud look a little pale? Turning around, she saw two men in office attire. They looked like typical office workers, which came as a surprise. Tifa half-expected Cloud's colleagues to be a little… trendier-looking, if they belonged to the entertainment industry.

"Thomas, Lincoln." Cloud nodded with a smile. "Thank you for working hard again today."

"Ever so polite, even when you're out of work." One of them, a stocky man with dark hair, laughed.

"Colleagues of yours?" asked Tifa.

"Yes," answered Cloud. Tifa could sense his discomfort. "This is Thomas and Lincoln. We are in the same company."

The stocky man, whom Cloud introduced as Thomas, gave Tifa a big smile. "So, is this pretty lady your girlfriend?"

Tifa's face grew hotter as Cloud tried to clarify. However, Lincoln was faster. He gave Tifa a big smile and extended his hand. "I'm Lincoln." He greeted, his brown eyes full of excitement. "Cloud has been talking all week about you."

_Really?_ She could not help but feel happy by that. She did not know that Cloud had liked her until a few moments ago and now his colleagues were saying that he had been thinking of her the whole week?

"You must be a really amazing girl," laughed Lincoln, slapping Cloud on the back. "This boy has been so busy being a secretary, yet he makes time to meet you."

Tifa blinked. "What?"

"Lincoln!" said Thomas disapprovingly. "Work-related conversation are strictly off-limits outside the building."

"Opps. Slip of the tongue. My bad," replied Lincoln apologetically.

"Well, I'll see the two of you tomorrow," answered Cloud quickly. With polite waves and smiles, Cloud and Tifa walked away.

It was some distance before Cloud spoke again. "Tifa…" The woman turned and stared at him. There was nothing that came to mind. Tifa had no words to express how she felt. Cloud reached for her hand and Tifa found herself pulling away. "Tifa… please-" began Cloud.

"No." Tifa shook her head. "I don't understand. You said that you were…"

He sighed and ran his fingers through his blond hair. "I'm sorry…"

She stared at him long enough for her to finally understand the entire thing. "Oh… so that's how it is." She pursed her lips. "No, you don't have to apologise. _I'm_ sorry. I was too caught up in my head…" She laughed bitterly. Her first thing that ever came close to romance, and it turned out to be a whole misunderstanding. "To think that you were serious with me…"

"I am serious with you-"

"You are not!" Tifa argued. "If you are, why did you lie to me about who you are? Do I look like I am easily flustered by the smallest signs of affection?" She took a deep breath. She was overreacting, which was not like her at all. "I'm sorry," she apologized again with a calmer tone. "And… it's okay, Cloud. Let's just… stop. I'm done anyway. The thought of being with somebody is really difficult… I can't do it."

"Tifa, it's not that difficult-"

"Of course it is!" Tifa began stepping back, away from Cloud. "You don't know how it feels to see the person you care for vanishing without a single word… I don't want to experience that anymore."

"Then let me show you that it won't happen to me." Cloud stepped forward to tighten the gap between the two of them. "I will treasure you… and myself for your sake. Please let me explain the whole thing about KAI-"

"You don't have to," Tifa stared at him. "I don't want to."

"Why are you so stubborn?"

"Because investing my time into you is not worth it," Tifa snapped. "Cloud, just… just forget that all that has happened." She waved her arms. "I want to go home and forget about this whole fiasco." She then wrapped them around her protectively. "I really feel like an idiot right now."

Cloud looked at her and asked quietly. "… Why?"

She turned at him with full annoyance shown on her face. "Because I really-" Tifa stopped herself, as the next few words echoed in her mind. … _Like you. _Goosebumps rippled across her arms. Whether he was a liar or not, she has feelings for Cloud. "I gotta go," she mumbled.

Without waiting for a reply, she turned and broke into a run. Behind her, Cloud was shouting but she did not look back. She did not care if Cloud were to run after her or if he would walk away.

_I am such an idiot! _She felt like kicking herself. _You are such a kid to be swayed by such simple words! Told you that you should just steer away from romance... I won't ever find Cloud again. Our friendship is over…_

_It really hurts. _She admitted as tears welled up, blurring her vision. _The thought that I will never see Cloud again… It hurts just as much as seeing Mom go._

Then, Cloud screamed. It was a sound full of genuine horror and fear. "Tifa! Watch out!"

That was when she registered bright lights shining at her face. She turned and saw an oncoming vehicle. Tifa's mouth widened, her scream caught in her throat.

Suddenly, something heavy tackled her out of the road. She was flung back by its impact and braced herself to hit the hard stone floor. However, it broke her fall and took most of the floor impact. They slid and Tifa felt it hit its head against a stone wall.

Tifa did not need to look twice. "Cloud!" She sat up, wincing as her back and arms stung from the abrasion.

Cloud grinned. "Hey, Tifa, are you okay?"

"Yes, yes I am." Tifa nodded. "Don't worry about me. Are you alright? Why did you do that? You took most of the fall…" She checked his head. He hit his head squarely against the stone wall by the side of the road. "You are bleeding!" She gasped.

"Yeah… about that… maybe you could… get me to the hospital?"

* * *

This was supposed to be a longer chapter but I had such a hard time finishing the last bit. So I split the chapter into two so that I can upload faster. Sorry to keep all of you waiting. Hope you've enjoyed the chapter with all its fluff.

Please read and review!


	3. Tifa: Hospital

**The Only Exception**

**Story 1 – Tifa**

**Chapter 3 - Hospital**

Tifa did not know anyone to call. The first person she did call was an ambulance. At least that was the only sensible thing that she remembered doing. After that, she had no idea who to contact. There was only Aerith Gainsborough, whom she had just brushed off last night.

When Aerith appeared at the hospital to find Tifa, Tifa hugged her best friend tightly. She began apologising for her mistakes, but Aerith waved it off, smiling. Tifa felt much better now that Aerith was beside her.

The green-eyed girl looked at Tifa, more confident in her guess this time round. "Tifa, don't deny it." She smiled knowingly. "You like Cloud."

She stared at Aerith briefly and sighed. "Yes, I think."

Instead of going "I knew it!" in the know-it-all manner that Tifa had to endure whenever Aerith was right, Aerith smiled and said nothing. They sat in silence, each thinking of things of their own. It was Aerith who replied, "So what now?" She peered at Tifa curiously. "You like him but he lied to you. Yet he risked his life to save yours." She leaned back against the chair. "I don't understand men, really," she declared.

"It's not only about the lying, Aerith," began Tifa. "It has been two weeks since we met in the bar, but I realise that I don't know anything about him. I do not know a single thing about his life in Midgar, the friends he meet or any emotional experiences… none at all. I thought I knew his job, but as it turned out, he was not what I thought he was." She had trusted him. Trusted him so much that she did not even tell Aerith what Cloud's "identity" was. "Now that the one only piece of information I have of him is not even true…" she looked at Aerith. "Who was I going out with the whole time?"

Aerith smiled to herself. Then, without warning, she flung herself forward and gave Tifa a tight hug, which befuddled Tifa more. "Oh Tifa, you should hear yourself…" Her friend grinned. "For once, you are concerned about a relationship with someone… on something that is not even related to death."

Now that Aerith mentioned it, Tifa realised that it was true. "What does it mean?" She asked.

"Isn't it obvious?" asked Aerith with a mischievous and happy smile. "You care for Cloud deeply… so much that you are willing to challenge Death one more time."

Tifa stared at her in disbelief. "… Really?" She could not believe how different her voice sounded… almost hopeful.

Aerith placed her hands on Tifa's shoulders. "You should talk to him," she said seriously. "Men are generally scum of the earth, but if he is willing to run after you and also risk his life to keep yours safe… you should at least listen to him. Whether he is playing with you or not, you HAVE to find out what the heck is going on."

"… I don't know."

"Then I don't know either. … I guess we will be staying here a while more so…" She got off from her chair. "I'm getting a cup of cocoa. Do you want one?" Tifa shook her head slightly and Aerith walked away, leaving Tifa in her own thoughts again.

"Excuse me, are you Tifa?"

Tifa glanced up and found herself looking at a tall and handsome man. She quickly stood and straightened her dress. "Yeah, I am Tifa."

"Hi, my name is Zack. Zack Fair. I'm his roommate. I have always wanted to meet you, actually." He extended his hand and Tifa shook it firmly. His grin matched his enthusiastic handshake. "I just want to thank you for helping Cloud."

"It's nothing much." Tifa shrugged. A grateful roommate, whom she had never met or even heard of. She did not know that Cloud had a roommate. She did assume it so, for houses were expensive in Midgar, though she wished Cloud had told her more.

_Yeah, if he told me that much, I wouldn't be so insecure about what's going on between us too. _She fumed inside.

Zack looked around. "So… are you here alone?"

She shook her head. "Nah, my friend is with me."

"Oh…"

"Have you seen Cloud already?" asked Tifa.

"Yeah, he definitely has seen better days, but he'll be fine."

Looking at the man up close, she noticed that he was indeed handsome. With raven hair slicked to the hair and bright, cheery eyes, he looked out of place in the sickly hospital background. "Thanks for coming down to check on him." Tifa smiled. "I was worried that I could not find anyone around… You know that he doesn't have relatives living around here."

"Yeah, I'm also not from Midgar. So we have been sticking to each other for the longest time," laughed Zack.

"Zack Fair, huh?" Tifa frowned. "I've never heard Cloud mention you before."

"Huh, is it?" grinned Zack. "Maybe he's too distracted with your company to think about me. He can't stop talking about you at home. I'll make sure he tells you some things about me then."

Tifa blushed, but kept her happiness minimal. "Don't bother." She waved him off.

"Why shouldn't I?" Zack asked innocently. "Cloud really likes you a lot."

"No, he does not. He's not serious about me at all. How can anyone smitten with a person whom they barely know? I don't know anything about him. He lied to me and kept many things in his life from me."

"Oh." Zack scratched his head. "Um…" Tifa looked at him with amusement. He did not need to be worried for her. "I know it looks really bad for him, but it's not like that! Also, it's not credible, coming from me, but…" Zack clenched his fist encouragingly. "Don't give up on him."

Tifa frowned. "Why?"

"Ah!" Zack exclaimed. "Look at the time! I should make a move. Oh, Cloud said that he wants to see you." He jerked a thumb behind. "Maybe you can get your answer from him."

"Hey!" Tifa called out. "Wait!"

It was too late. Zack walked away before she could call him again. She slumped back onto her chair. She pressed her hands against her face and sighed loudly. _Now what?_

"I'm back…" Aerith looked at her with concern. "What happened?"

Tifa shook her head lightly. "Nothing… nothing that I can understand…" She stood and picked up her sling bag. "Let's go home."

"Huh? We're leaving already?" Aerith blinked in surprise. "But you have not seen Cloud yet, have you?"

"Yeah… it's fine."

"Are you sure?" Aerith asked slowly.

Tifa paused, wondering if walking out of the hospital meant that she may never see Cloud again. Ignoring the stab in her heart, she mumbled, "Yeah… I'm sure."

* * *

Tifa did not visit Cloud. Even though Zack had told her that Cloud wanted to see her, Tifa was hesitant. She was not ready for anything that Cloud had to say. And so… two days went by without a word from Tifa, nor from Cloud.

"What if he does not want to see me anymore?" asked Tifa worriedly.

"If that really happens, I'll say that it's your fault." Aerith punched her head lightly. "Cloud gave you the chance but you are too scared to take it."

"Of course I am…"

"Not to say that I'm the best at lovey-dovey stuff, but I can at least do common sense." Aerith propped a hand on her chin. "I don't think you know where he lives. Once he's discharged, it's 'Bye-bye Cloud Strife', forever."

Tifa grumbled, "I have his phone number."

"Will you take the initiative to call him?"

Tifa had no reply to that. "You don't know anything, Aerith."

"Maybe I don't," said Aerith, doing little to hide her irritation. "But I know that if you are going to mope around the house thinking about him, then I'd rather you do something about it." She smacked Tifa's buttocks lightly. "Go dress up and see him, before I dress you up and send you there myself."

"…" Tifa took a deep breath and grabbed her towel for the shower. "Aerith?"

"Hmm?"

"Why are you so supportive of my relationship with Cloud?" Tifa asked. "… I thought you…"

Aerith folded her arms. "I'm not hating on love, alright? I just don't believe that it works for me. I've always hoped that love will work for you someday… because you are not to blame for your mother's death."

Tifa looked at Aerith, thinking about what she said. "Aerith?"

"What now?"

She smiled at her roommate. "Thanks. I love you."

"I love you too." Aerith waved her off. "Now get showering!"

* * *

When Tifa walked into the ward, Cloud was sleeping. She paused for a moment to stare at the ward. Either Cloud was very rich now or whoever that had upgraded him into a single private ward was rich. Midgar hospitals are can be quite expensive, especially the private wards. She quietly placed a basket of fruits and sat down by his bedside.

She had not seen him in two days, but she could not explain the relief when she saw him. Cloud had a bandage around his head and scratches on his arms, but otherwise, he looked fine. _Maybe I should have come to see you earlier, _she thought, resisting the urge to reach out for his cheek. _Whether you were lying or not, I cannot deny that I really like you. Enough to want to spend even more time with you…_

Cloud suddenly opened his eyes and Tifa had to stop herself from bolting out of the door.

"Tifa…" He croaked and cleared his throat. "Took you long enough." He reached for a glass of water from his bedside.

"Hi." She smiled slightly. "It's been a long time."

Cloud propped himself up on the bed. He grabbed a pillow from behind him… and swung it at her face.

"Oof!" Tifa groaned as the pillow made its soft impact on her face. When the pillow fell off, Tifa's hair was in disarray. "Excuse me, Cloud Strife? What was that for?!" She demanded.

"You idiot!" Cloud shouted. "Why didn't you check for your traffic before crossing? Why did you take such a long time to come and find me?"

"You are the idiot!" shouted back Tifa. "What's with jumping out of nowhere to save me? Now you are in the hospital with a bandage around your head! What if you had died?"

"If I had died, it would've been your fault!"

That stung Tifa a little. She pursed her lips before retorting, "Then don't save me!"

Cloud groaned. Before Tifa could continue, he pulled her close to him. Tifa noticed that he was breathing heavily and that his heart was pumping madly. She knew that no matter how angry he was, he had rushed out to save her. And Tifa knew that Cloud would do it again if he had to. "How could I do that?" He asked, his voice back to the usual calm tone. "What kind of man am I, if I were to allow the person I love to be knocked down by a car?"

Tifa relaxed at his touch, which surprised and embarrassed her at the same time. "It doesn't matter," she said. "We were going nowhere in this relationship."

"No, YOU are going nowhere in your own fantasies."

Tifa pulled away. "What do you mean?"

"If you had only given me time to explain myself…" He gestured at his head. "None of this would have happened."

"Doesn't change the fact that you…" She sighed. She was tired of arguing about this. "Okay, Cloud. I'm sorry. I should've listened to you."

Cloud sighed. "Tifa, I'm sorry that I've lied-" He paused to see if Tifa would interrupt, which she respectfully did not. "I lied when I said that I was KAI. However, you would not discount the fact that I really know of KAI's whereabouts and his schedules…" He cupped his hands together and laughed nervously. "I'm actually his manager."

"Come on…"

"No, I'm serious! Lincoln and Thomas are both managers of celebrities. We are all in the same company. They weren't joking when they said that I was a secretary." Cloud beckoned Tifa to bring him his satchel. "Here," he said, flipping a tin box open. "Here's my namecard. Interested to become a singer?" He grinned.

"Be serious, alright?" said Tifa. When Cloud kept quiet and gazed at her, she cleared her throat awkwardly. "O… kay. So you are serious." She took the box and placed it on the table. "You know what? I don't care if you are the manager of KAI, or the CEO of the company. I want to know, why didn't you come clean with your identity from the beginning?"

Cloud was silent for a while. "You know… I've always wanted to become a celebrity. That's why I left Nibelheim for Midgar two years ago. I've tried so hard to get into the showbiz, but it was really difficult…" He paused. "Well, I couldn't become a celebrity. So I decided that I'll become a celebrity's manager until someone notices my talent."

"I still don't get it. Why go through all that hassle of hiding your real job?" asked Tifa with a frown on her face.

"I… I wanted to impress you, to be honest," Cloud stammered, turning red at the confession. "When I first saw you in the bar, I mean, I was trying my best to remain calm and not…" He shook his head. "Anyway, I couldn't tell you that I failed being a celebrity, could I?" Looking at Tifa's confused face, he hesitated. "Wait… you mean, you've forgotten? When you were younger, you said that you really liked that old singer! I thought… I thought if you could…"

"How could you?!" exclaimed Tifa, remembering such an incident. "I was seven! Celebrities mean nothing to me since they can't be close to me…" She smacked her forehead. "Do you mean to say that all this while…"

Cloud gave her an embarrassed smile. "Yeah… I mean- I like singing too. I thought that it's not too bad, but…" He reached for her hand. "Yeah." He looked at her intently. "All this while."

Tifa could not believe what she was hearing. Never in her wildest imaginations did she suspect that Cloud nursed the longest crush on her.

"Well," Cloud threw his hands in the air. "What I've done is plain dumb, in hindsight. I should've just be honest instead of ruining this."

"Yeah…" Tifa smiled. "You've ruined it."

Cloud stared at her, before nodding slowly. "I sure did," he reiterated.

"Because the person that I have feelings for is a shy but friendly man named Cloud Strife, not KAI." Tifa glanced at Cloud. "So I guessed you've ruined it for yourself, KAI."

The man looked at her. "Well…" He laughed heartily, in a way that Tifa had never seen. "You've sure got me, Tifa Lockhart." He smiled. She blushed, hoping that he did not see how awkward she felt under his gaze. "So… Tifa," he asked, holding her hand again. "Can I hope of a future with you?"

She widened her eyes at the thought. "Don't scare me like that." However, she did not pull her hand away. "What if-"

"I said it that day, Tifa," Cloud said gently. "I will treasure you, and myself." She bit her lip and Cloud squeezed her hand. "Honestly, if you ask my opinion. I'd much rather die knowing that I was happy with you, than to sit through my whole life wondering why we didn't give each other a chance."

"Cloud…" Tifa said. "What logic is that?"

"I like my logic," said Cloud with a shrug. "So... if you don't like that… I understand."

Tifa adjusted her ponytail and took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what to make of all this, but one thing I know. Spending time with you the last two weeks was something novel. I have never spent that kind of time with anyone apart from Aerith's family and my dad. I was too scared to seek a deeper relationship with anyone because I wasn't ready for that. But… you are an exception."

"Really?" He smiled proudly. "I am?"

"Yeah. You've made me feel like… it's probably possible. So… If you are game for it…" She smiled. "I'd like to take up the challenge too."

Cloud grinned happily. "Challenge accepted." He hugged Tifa tightly. "I'm so happy, Tifa… So happy."

Tifa hugged him back. "Me too. Don't worry about me, Cloud. Everything…" She took a deep breath and made herself say it. "Everything will be alright."

"No it won't," said Cloud, surprising Tifa. "Don't hold that kind of expectation." He shook his head. "Life is unexpected, but one thing is for sure."

"Hmm?"

He leaned closer and gave Tifa a kiss on the forehead. "We will make the best out of what we have," he declared confidently.

Tifa smiled, wondering since when did she not feel as afraid as before. "We will," she repeated.

* * *

Hurray! That's the first story! Hopefully I roll out the other stories in time to come! How was it? Do review because it will mean a lot to me!


	4. Aerith: Ferris Wheel

**The Only Exception**

Thank you for waiting three weeks for the next story!

**Story 2 – Aerith **

**Chapter 4 – Ferris Wheel**

_And my momma swore that she would never let herself forget_

_That was the day that I promised, I'd never sing of love, if it does not exist._

* * *

"Come on, Aerith. Sing us a song!"

"Guys, give me a break!" Aerith groaned. "I want to eat my lunch, not sing for you!" Her friends would not give up so she sighed. "Alright, alright." She beamed. Someone passed her a guitar and she laughed. "My goodness, did you all already think that I'm going to accept singing you a song? The guitar has been prepared already, hasn't it?"

Everyone laughed. "We had faith that you will be nice to us today!" said her friend, Jessie, with a wide smile.

Aerith strummed a few opening chords and began to sing. It was lively and catchy – a song that everyone knew. Eventually at the chorus, everyone sang loudly with actions. The small group clapped and whistled when she ended.

One of her classmates, a boy named Dennis, laughed. "You know that you're the best entertainment during lunch. We are sure lucky to be your good friends." He gestured at her. "Look! Our very own jukebox!"

Aerith bristled as the group of friends grew silent. "Thanks for using me like that." She mumbled, shoving the guitar back at the confused classmate's hands. "I need to use the washroom, I'll be right back."

As she walked away quickly, she could hear her roommate and best friend, Tifa Lockhart, punch their classmate's arm hard.

"Ow!" Dennis yelped. "What did you do that for? What's HER problem?" He gestured at Aerith storming off. Tifa gave him a look. "THAT again?"

"Yes, that again. You are insensitive… as usual, Dennis." Tifa narrowed her eyes at the man. "You know that Aerith hates being manipulated. Haven't you learnt your lesson? You were her high school classmate. You knew exactly how she was like when it happened."

He brushed his hand through his sleek brown hair. "Still, it was just a joke! She used to be more light-hearted. Now she's always like this. After all these years…"

"Dennis," pointed out Tifa. "No one gets over things just like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis.

Dennis glanced at Tifa. He had forgotten that Tifa was also one of those emotionally troubled girls. "Fine, fine. My fault. Again." He rolled his eyes. "Girls…" He muttered under his breath and stalked away.

Tifa Lockhart sighed to herself. There was no way Dennis could have understood how Aerith felt. Indeed, Aerith was too sensitive, but that was Aerith. She was paranoid towards any hints of manipulation, thus she usually kept a distance despite having many friends. Tifa was the one of the few friends that Aerith could open up her heart to.

_If only there's something…_

* * *

Aerith walked out of the toilet, patting her wet face with a piece of tissue paper. She tucked a strand of loose hair behind her ear and took a deep breath. _I was overreacting. _She reflected. _Dennis did not mean harm. He can sure be annoying, but he is not that sort. _

She, Dennis and some other friends had been classmates since high school, way before she met Tifa. Even though she and Tifa are closer now, Dennis is still a close friend of hers. Aerith reminded herself to apologise to Dennis later. Irritating or not, he had been there for her when-

"AERITH!" A familiar voice rang across the corridor.

"Oh good Gaia," she groaned. Without even confirming the identity of the person, Aerith walked away briskly.

The person was persistent. "Aerith Gainsborough! Don't run away from me! Christmas! Christmas! CHRISTMAS!" Despite the shouting, Aerith did not turn back. If she stopped now, she knew that it would be hard to shake the person off. Finally, the person drew his last trump card. With a loud cry, he declared, "Aerith Gainsborough! I need you so very, very much! Please don't reject me again! I need you!"

Aerith stopped in her tracks. She turned around, blushing and glaring at the man in front of her. "Reno," she said dangerously, subconsciously clenching her fists. "Don't bug me." Beside her, she could hear whispers of her schoolmates as they made wild speculations between Reno and herself. Aerith wished she could shut them up.

The redhead gave her a teasing smile. "Just say 'yes', and you will make me a very happy man," he pleaded.

Aerith groaned and rolled her eyes at the same time. "For the last time, Reno," she said. "I will not sing a love song for your event." She half-stamped her feet like a child. "Get over it, Reno!"

"But it's Christmas!"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "Christmas has nothing to do with falling in love."

Reno sighed as though he knew more about Christmas and love than her. "Of course it is! Christmas is all about thanksgiving to the life that we have… and what better way to celebrate our lives by falling in love?" He grinned.

Aerith groaned again. "You are impossible to talk to. I don't know how Rude and Tseng tolerate you." She waved him away. "Go find someone else, please. I-"

"Okay, okay," said Reno, raising his hands before Aerith could continue. "Then, at least do this for me." He pulled out a ticket from his pocket. "Go to the Student Union Halloween carnival this Friday night."

Immediately changing into a defensive stance, Aerith shifted her feet uncomfortably. "I'm not interested in dates and stuff," she mumbled.

Reno stared at the ticket for a moment before realising what she meant. "Unfortunately, that is not my intention." He grinned. "I have no interest in misandrists."

"I'm not a man-hater," grumbled Aerith. "I just-"

He waved the ticket at her. "We have a couple of free tickets to the Halloween carnival. Go and enjoy yourself. Maybe after you've experienced our awesome carnivals, you will want to perform for our Christmas one."

Aerith looked at the ticket. _Looks like I've got nothing to lose. I'll just say that I don't like it and not perform for them still. _She took the ticket. "Do you have an extra for Tifa?"

Reno made a face that was in between embarrassment and panic. "Um… about that, this is my last ticket."

"You said you had a couple," she pointed out. Reno shrugged. _Then who am I going to the carnival with?_ Aerith sighed. "If you want me to perform so much, why not make me perform a non-love song for your Halloween carnival?"

"Don't you know?" He said with a confident smirk. "We always save the best for the last." With a wave, Reno walked away.

* * *

As it turned out, Tifa could not go to the Halloween carnival anyway. She had a date with her new boyfriend, Cloud Strife. Aerith was genuinely happy with the both of them, especially for Tifa. Her mother had died when she was young, causing Tifa to be fearful of losing people whom she considered important. It took some time to pry into the reserved Tifa's life. However, Aerith knew that Tifa also saw something pitiable in Aerith herself. Not that she minded. The two girls understood each other's pain and reluctance. Now that Tifa had moved on and decided to give relationships a try… Aerith had to admit, it felt kind of lonely sometimes.

The carnival was lively and interesting, Aerith had to admit. Grotesque faces plastered on walls and fences, fake blood splattered on tables and dripping onto the floor, and random part-timers dressed up as ghosts and zombies dragging themselves around the place. Piping hot, bizarre food, that faint smell of sulphur and bad decisions that led to screams of terror in the distance. She also visited the music concert and watched some groups perform gut-wrenching, creepy songs. She thought that they were pretty good.

Aerith wished that Tifa was with her to enjoy the carnival. She had met some of her classmates, but she was not in the mood to party in a big group. Furthermore, that Dennis was there, and Aerith was not ready to hear him go on another commentary and ranking of girls who walked past them.

Walking down the path, she ticked off the rides that she had managed to sit on. _Well, we're all done._ She smiled to herself. _Unless I want to sit on that…_

She looked up at the Ferris Wheel, tall and empty. "One free ride per entry… huh," she murmured to herself. Even with the free ride on the Ferris Wheel, it seemed that no one was interested to go.

"_Little Aerith, why don't we go onto the Ferris Wheel?"_

She rubbed the goosebumps on her arm away, ignoring that memory. "Might as well…" She mumbled to herself. _It's not the memory, it's just a free ride, that's all. Just a free ride._

Aerith walked towards the waiting line, adjusting her cardigan. Having no one in the queue, she indicated 'one person' to the attendant. She watched the staff walk over to the occupied cabin. After taking a quick look inside, he nodded for Aerith to go in. "Wait, there's someone inside…" she began.

"What are you talking about?" He smiled warmly. "The cabin is empty." He nudged her gently into the cabin and with another smile, he closed the door.

"Hey!" Aerith shouted again, panic rising in her voice. She hit against the door, but the attendant had walked away. "I'm sorry but…" Her words were stuck in her throat when she saw the other 'occupant' in the cabin.

The thing was horrible. With rotting flesh and sticky hair, the lifeless body was slumped against the bench. Aerith breathed out in relief. What was she doing? Being afraid of mere props?

The Ferris Wheel started moving. So did it.

"Hi, milady." It grinned, showing a set of yellowed and decayed teeth.

"No!" Aerith tensed and drew back, but the thing inched closer. "Stop this!" She shouted, pressing herself against the door. "Stop it!" She screamed, her eyes watering. "Help!"

"Whoa, whoa! Okay, okay! Miss!" She heard "the thing" speak. "Don't be scared, okay? I'm not a monster!" She heard ripping and she slowly turned around to find a part-timer, ripping off the latex off his mask. She wiped her tears and apologized. The part-timer sighed, "Gee, I was just spooking you, but you looked terrified."

A part of her calmed down, and Aerith felt stupid afterwards. _How could I actually think that it was a real ghoul? _The other part of her made her unable to stop staring at him, for she was surprised that the part-timer was quite handsome.

The part-timer, now maskless caught her staring at grinned, "I'm also not bad-looking, eh?" Aerith flushed. She was thankful that the dim light made it difficult to see her embarrassment. She was also a little annoyed that the man was so arrogant. "Anyway, I'm sorry for scaring you-"

"No," said Aerith, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. I mean, you were just doing your job."

The man laughed nervously. "Well… Can you keep a secret for me? We are not supposed to be here."

Aerith gaped at him. "You mean-"

"Yeah. I'm skiving. For a while."

Aerith jerked a thumb out of the window, where the Ferris Wheel attendant was. "He said that the cabin was empty… I thought-"

"He probably thought that it would be funny to see you stuck in a cabin with a ghoul."

"Well, good for him," replied Aerith sourly.

The man chuckled. "Yeah, but not for me, though. Not to say that I dislike your company," he quickly added. "Any company of a pretty girl is good company."

Aerith narrowed her eyes at him. Her mother would say that a man with a glib tongue is not one to be trusted. This man was full of it, with a pretty face to match.

He looked out of the window. "I thought the Wheel would be good since no one comes here, but looks like I'm wrong." He turned back to grin at her. "I wanted some time… alone." He waved her off casually. "Sorry if I ruined your mood."

"No, it's really okay," said Aerith. "I mean, I'm alone too. I also came to the Ferris Wheel to have some alone time."

"Well," laughed the part timer. "I guess since we can't be alone, let's make the best of it." He stretched his knobby ghoul hand… and retracted it with a sheepish smile. "I'm Zack Fair."

"Aerith," replied Aerith, a little curtly than what she had intended. She felt bad but she always had a bad impression with guys who introduced themselves. She had her fair share of admirers and obviously, she wanted none of that.

"Well then," he said with a slight yawn. "Since we have a common intention to have our alone time, then I shall make full use of it." Aerith nodded in agreement. The cabin was really quiet as the two of them stared out of different windows down at the bright lights below. Aerith sneaked a peek at Zack. He was really pleasant to look at, with dark hair and a broad shoulders.

_He looks like a really nice person. _She found herself thinking. _As long as he does not open his mouth, that is. He looks like someone who would enjoy spending time with dogs in the park… or teaching children how to play volleyball… _She imagined him in a neighbourhood, waving enthusiastically at elderly people and children. _As long as he does not open his mouth. _She reiterated.

What caught her attention was how he looked while he was staring out of the window. It was not the face of someone seeking quietness, but solitude. As though he had a secret, or a problem, that he could not find anyone to share with. His face was troubled and his eyes were always looking down at the lights below. Occasionally he would hum or sigh silently to himself. In his created solitude, even Aerith's presence did not bother him or make him self-conscious.

Before she could stop herself, Aerith asked. "Is everything okay? You seem troubled."

The man looked at her in surprise. The face of one seeking solitude and peace was disrupted with his wide smile. All traces of his worries were erased from his face. Suddenly, Zack was a cheery and lively man again. "Do I?" He asked. "I'm flattered that I've caught the attention of such a pretty girl like you. Is that your way of flirting?"

Aerith turned red, embarrassed that he would think so of her. _That was really rude! _She thought angrily. _I don't even know you! _Instantly, her impression of him dipped. "You don't have to worry about me being interested in you," she answered flatly. "I don't like guys."

The surprise on his face was genuine. "Eh? Are you a-"

"No!" said Aerith quickly before he misunderstood. "It's just that… I don't want to be in a relationship with guys… They are really difficult to understand."

"Are they?" asked Zack innocently. He looked out of the window again. "Ah, we are almost at the end of our ride."

Aerith turned to look out too. She had not realised how quickly ten minutes had gone by. _I thought that it would be pretty boring, but… _She had to admit, it was not uncomfortable talking to him. And for the briefest moment, Aerith actually _wished _that she had more time with this mysterious man.

The door opened. "Thank you-" began the attendant but Zack scooted across his bench towards the open door.

"We'll go for another round, if that's fine with you," said Zack with a wink. He closed the cabin door and turned to Aerith with a triumphant smile.

"What was- I didn't- Hey!" She exclaimed as the cabin started moving one more round – another ten minutes with this insufferable, arrogant… person. Aerith groaned loudly.

* * *

To be honest, this chapter was completed before the last Tifa chapter was complete. However, up till just now, I was still adding details and improving the setting a little. I'm pretty happy with how it turned out, I hope you will be too.

In my initial idea, I wanted the Ferris Wheel to stop working so that Zack and Aerith would have more time to talk, but that would be kinda cliché, huh? In the end, I decided to just let the Ferris Wheel go for another round.

Please read and review!


	5. Aerith: Past

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

Thank you for waiting patiently for my chapters. I upload this with much apprehension. Mostly because I'm still trying to finish the following few chapters. I always prefer to have a few buffer chapters so that I have better control of my story development.

**Chapter 5 – Past **

_Aerith Gainsborough, what kind of situation have you gotten yourself into? _

Aerith asked herself for the third time as she stared at the man whom she had just met ten minutes ago.

"Why?" She shook her head in semi-disgust.

"Why what?" asked Zack Fair innocently. With bright blue eyes and a brilliant smile, he could pull off that innocent expression very well. Even the bits of latex, not completely removed from when he had his ghoul mask on, helped him look extra innocent.

"It was bad enough that I was stuck with you for ten minutes," complained Aerith. "Now you've gone ahead and sent us on another round on the Ferris Wheel!" She tapped the window. "You did not ask if I was okay with it!"

"But we were at an exciting part of the conversation!" grinned Zack. "Besides, shouldn't you be happy that you get to spend more time with a handsome ghoul like me?" He rubbed his chin.

"No, I am really not," said Aerith, somewhat not as confidently as she wanted.

"Bummer." He pouted. "But since you can't climb out of this place, guess we stay here a while more." He laughed cheekily. "Let's make the best out of it, shall we?" He rubbed his rubber hands together. "Back to the main point… you said that you don't want to be in a relationship with men because… they were difficult to understand? Why is that?" When Aerith chose not to answer his answer, Zack continued. "So… you ARE a closet l-"

Aerith quickly answered, "No! I don't… swing the other way, if that's what you are wondering." She thought about her attempt to clarify his statement. Sometimes, on occasions when Aerith was in a bad mood, she would not even bother to clarify if the other party had mistaken her sexual preference. "I do like… guys," she mumbled the last bit to herself. It felt weird to have to assure someone of her sexual preference.

_Again, it's not like I should care, right? _She sighed. What was she doing? She felt uncomfortable being unlike herself.

He laughed. "That's… That's good." There was a brief silence in the cabin before Zack sighed too. Aerith glanced at him. He was staring out of the window again, his face deep in thought. Aerith bit back her urge to ask him about his troubles. However, she did not wait for long. He said, "Well, you know? I really like girls."

She wondered how many times she had changed her impression of him. First, he was a handsome part-timer (she was not going to deny that anymore) to a flirtatious jerk, then to an unusual, solitude-seeking thinker and now some creepy-sounding man. Aerith did not know what to make of Zack. That thought unsettled her. "I can tell," Aerith answered, tucking her hair behind her ear.

He stared at his clasped hands. "I like them… I like football too…" Aerith patiently waited for him to continue. "But because of my job, I can't have any of them," he said darkly. "Sometimes it makes you wonder if the job is really worth it after all."

That confused Aerith. _What kind of job would require their employees to give up their sexual preferences? _It was when Zack started laughing that she realised, much to her chagrin, that she had voiced her thoughts aloud.

"You are one cute lady, Aerith," laughed Zack gaily. "I thought you were a pretty, but stiff-necked prude."

"Thanks," answered Aerith with equal amount of annoyance.

"But talking to you is a lot more fun than I thought." He finished with his arms folded and a grin on his face.

She looked at him. "Well, um… Thanks," she said, more sincerely this time. How long has it been since a man said something that nice about her? Most of them thought of her as a 'stiff-necked prude', and Aerith had no interest in correcting them on that. She leaned forward slightly. If anything, his job was the one thing that piqued her interest, just a little. "So seriously, what kind of job is that?"

"Hmm?" smiled Zack, leaning forward towards Aerith as well. "Is Aerith interested in me?" He asked playfully. "If you are so interested, maybe I can show you?"

She leaned back immediately. "Argh, you are disgusting!" She frowned. And she was not referring to the smell of his musty costume.

Zack laughed heartily and leaned back against his seat. "Just joking. But I'm serious about not being able to tell you what my job is. I'm under a contract." He grinned. "But I can share other things about myself, if you want."

Aerith shrugged, ignoring his last offer. She would not probe him if he did not want to share. "Do you like your job?" She asked.

"Well… I enjoy what I'm doing. My job has its perks and it is fun, no doubt about that. I just wish I have more time… more opportunities to do normal stuff. You know, kick football with people… or chase girls… or eat street food alone…" He laughed sheepishly. "I don't really have many friends to do things like that normally."

The more he talked, the more puzzled Aerith became. Unless he worked in some kind of special nightclub or federal agency, she could not see how Zack could have difficulties. She decided that Zack looked more likely to be a host than a secret agent, and giggled to herself.

"What are you laughing at?"

"Nothing!" grinned Aerith. "Honestly, I don't see why it is difficult to play football. Do you seriously want to play football?" Zack nodded enthusiastically. "If it's manpower you need, then well… I can find my friends and we can all play football together or something… Not that I'm good at it. Honestly, I'm pretty terrible."

The man paused briefly, making Aerith wonder if she had said something inappropriate. He then broke into a wide smile – the best that she had seen him do – and laughed. "You are really an interesting one, Aerith!" He raised one eyebrow at her. "Are you sure you are not doing all these because you are smitten with me?"

Aerith narrowed her eyes. "Do I look like I am smitten with what you've said?"

Zack smiled. "Of course not…" He looked at her, with an embarrassed smile of gratitude. "If it's not a bother… I'll love to play football with your friends." Even Aerith could not help but smile back. He looked out of the window. "Ah, there we go. Our second round is over too." He glanced at Aerith. "Or do you want to go for another round, hmm?"

She answered that question by immediately stepping out of the cabin as soon as it opened. "Don't ever crank that thing for a second ride without the permission of both parties." She stared at the attendant, who apologised. Turning to Zack, who just managed to get out of the cabin without damaging his costume further, she said, "You are going to pay for that extra ride, you know."

He laughed. "Of course, that's the least I could do when I kidnap young ladies on Ferris Wheel rides."

* * *

Aerith waited outside, folding her arms. _What are you doing, Aerith Gainsborough? _She asked herself for the fifth time. _You should've just said goodbye and walked away while he was paying for that extra Ferris Wheel ride!_

Yet, she did not. Neither did she reject him when he asked her to accompany him a bit more. They walked around the carnival, expertly avoiding the mascot manager. That in itself was a feat, since Zack's ghoul costume was bulky.

Aerith ended up walking through the fair for the second time, but amazingly, she did not feel bored with his company. There was so much abnormally in what she did tonight that it surprised her, frightened her even. The fact that she would be walking beside a man alone was surprising enough. The last time that happened was with her fathe-

Aerith shook her head. She did not want to think about that.

"Everything alright, Aerith?" asked Zack. She smiled and said that she was fine. She would not trouble herself nor her company with issues of her past.

There was something appealing about Zack Fair, and it was not just his looks. Zack was charismatic, lively and very entertaining to be with. He had no qualms about interacting with random strangers around him. He was quick to smile and had a way of making people around him feel happy. At least, that was how she felt.

_I can't wait to tell Tifa about him, _she smiled to herself. _She would love to make friends with him! And it will be so fun if I bring him to… _She stopped in her thoughts, really wondering how it would be like if Zack was a part of her social life. She did not dislike it, despite the fact that he was flirtatious and flippant with his words sometimes.

Yet, there was another feeling in her heart. A small fluttering feeling that she had not felt in a long time, tightening into a knot…

"Aerith?" asked Zack. "Are you alright?"

"Um…" She coughed. "Yeah, I just saw that it's almost my… um… my curfew!" She gestured frantically. "So I've got to go."

_Again, why do I need to lie to get away? _She wondered. Usually she would have told the interested guy off straightaway. More like, she found it hard to face the truth when she was with Zack Fair. _... What does that mean? _She asked herself, but dared not think of the answer.

"Wow, a curfew at this age?" asked Zack, checking his watch. It was half past nine.

"Yeah." Aerith shrugged. "Strict family rules, you know." She waved it off as if she had said the same lines over and over again. "Not many people understand my family." _Sorry for lying about you, mom, _she thought inside.

Zack gave a small smile. "Actually, I have a curfew too." She blinked in surprise. "Yeah, it's kind of a curfew. Sometimes they implement it, sometimes they don't." He too, waved it off casually. "It's really not easy to understand my side of things too."

"… Alright, then…" Aerith nodded awkwardly.

Zack immediately caught her intention. "Yeah, you should hurry on ahead. Hey… I know it sounds like what it sounds, but should we… you know…" Zack gestured. "Exchange phone numbers or something?"

Aerith took a step back. "I'm not sure about that," she answered tentatively.

"Oh…" Zack made a genuinely troubled face. "I knew you would say that, but if I don't have your number, how would I know where to find you and your friends for football?"

"Oh." Aerith felt like kicking herself. She had forgotten about that. Of course he wanted her number for that, what was she thinking? _Stop thinking that every guy out there is out to chase you or flirt with you! _She scolded herself. "Um… you've said earlier that you are quite free in the coming week, haven't you?" Zack nodded. "How about next Wednesday, Midgar University stadium, five in the evening? I will need to round up my friends and see if they are up for a football game, which usually, they are."

"Sounds like a plan," agreed Zack. "I gotta say, I'm disappointed that I don't get to have your number."

Despite that, Aerith grinned.

* * *

When Aerith was home, her mother was in the kitchen, making accounts. "Hey, mom," she greeted. "How was work? Where's Tifa?"

Elmyra turned to her daughter with a smile. "Work was busy today, but it looks like things will be better next month. Tifa's not home yet, but she texted me earlier saying that she's on her way home." She turned back to her accounting. "How was your carnival?"

Aerith plopped herself on the kitchen stool. "It was…"

"_Little Aerith, why don't we go onto the Ferris Wheel?"_

Her mother looked up. "It was… ?"

She blinked her memory away. "… I don't know." Aerith narrowed her eyes. "I enjoyed myself, but not in the way that I expected it to."

Elmyra smiled before looking at her accounts. "Well, unexpected can be a good thing." She laughed. "Does that mean that you will be helping your student union with their Christmas carnival?"

Aerith wrinkled her nose. "I doubt so. I'm going to go back to Reno as soon as possible to reject him. I will not sing love songs."

"_Aerith, will you sing that lovely song again?"_

"_Daddy! You are always making me sing lovey-dovey songs. Eew!"_

"_That's because they remind me of the love I have for you."_

To her response, her mother made no reply. Aerith cleared her throat. "Has he sent money over this month?" Her mother shook her head. Aerith groaned and shrugged off her jacket. "He's already two weeks late. What's the point of alimony if you are not on time?"

"_With Elmyra and Aerith with me, my life is a wonderful melody!" _

"Don't worry," said her mother. "I'll go and ask your father."

"Forget it, mom." Aerith sighed. "He's always late and it's not like he talks to us anymore. Forget it. We can do fine on our own. Besides, it's about time that I get a job."

"_I'm sorry, little Aerith. Things are not the same as they were before."_

"You don't have to do this," said her mother, setting down her glasses and looking at Aerith concernedly. "He did not leave the family because of you, my dear."

"But he left the house anyway," pointed out Aerith stiffly. "To form a new family of his own.

"_Daddy is happy here, but I have a promise to make to someone else too… I'll come back and see you again."_

"_NO!"_

Aerith took a deep breath and looked away. Why was she bombarded by memories tonight? She hated thinking about her father. Elmyra, watching her intently, said softly, "Why don't you go upstairs? It's been a tiring day for you."

"Yeah…" mumbled Aerith. She picked up her bag and made her way to the staircase.

"Aerith?"

She turned to look at her mother.

Elmyra's face was grim. "… Don't forget what I've said."

Aerith remembered it so clearly. Things were strewn across the room. Her mother was kneeling on the floor, hair sticking to her wet face. She was crying so hard that it scared Aerith. It was the only time that she ever saw her mother so uncontrollably emotional.

"_I'll never forget…" Her mother was sobbing. "Never forget that-"_

Aerith could not exactly remember what her mother said. It was about three years ago. However, she did not need to remember. It was easy to guess.

"Don't worry," said Aerith softly. "I won't."

Up in her room, she changed out of her clothing and switched on the newest album by KAI, her favourite singer. KAI was special to her. He has a few love ballads about heartbreaks and desire, but soppy love songs were not his forte. His songs were about genuine issues, like loss and regret, joy and satisfaction.

_Finally, someone with a bit of substance in their songs. _She thought. _Love is so overrated. _She then thought about her good friend and housemate, Tifa Lockhart. She had a hard time believing that she could fall in love. However, that changed really quickly for her when she met her childhood friend, Cloud Strife. Not that Aerith was discounting the genuineness in Tifa's turnaround… in fact, she was… envious. She also wanted to fall in love, someday, somehow.

She sighed. _But I… It's really hard to not be reminded of how my father treated us. He was a good man too. But… just… not to us anymore._

"I watched you walk away, with no turning back… no turning back…"

Aerith blinked._ Oh… it's just KAI's songs…_ She thought, rubbing away the goosebumps.

All of his songs are written by KAI himself. According to a private interview, he mentioned that he liked to go around Midgar, looking for inspiration from the citizens. He would then tweak the lyrics to make the experience more general for everyone to understand. Aerith understood his intentions and loved the musical quality of the songs he made. She was good at pinpointing these kinds of stuff. She wished that she could meet KAI one day… she had so much to ask him. She was sure that if that was ever possible, they would be good friends sharing the love of music.

Tifa often joked that Aerith was in love with KAI, just that she was in denial. Aerith shook her head at that thought. _Even KAI, I can't fall in love with. _She then smiled to herself. _As if anyone knows who KAI is._

_Tonight… KAI's voice sound extra special… _Aerith smiled dreamily._ He sounds like he's a good friend of mine, comforting me and taking my pain away…_

She fell asleep with that thought. She did not even stir when Tifa came into her room.

* * *

To be honest, the previous chapter and this chapter was formerly one chapter, but I decided to keep my chapters short so I split them into two chapters. However, this second chapter was too short for my liking, so I added some details here and there. It does look a little better after some additions.

Thank you very much to all the lovely people who have been following and liking my stories! Do continue to support the story because it means a lot to me when you do!


	6. Aerith: Football

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

The story of Aerith is going to be a long one. Mainly because her story is supposed to be the centrepiece of "The Only Exception". I wanted to put in more time and effort into the development. Hope you will enjoy this chapter.

How long is the story going to be? You can only wait and see!

**Chapter 6 – Football**

By Wednesday, Aerith was surprised that she could gather a group of friends to the university stadium. She was dressed in sports attire but she was pretty sure that she would not be playing much. _It's not like I'm really good at it. _

"Hey all," she greeted with a wide smile as she saw her four friends walking towards her. The only girl in the group, with brown hair and eyes, smiled back. Although she had only met Jessie in university, Aerith liked talking to her, for she was frank yet kind.

"Did you wait for long?" asked a taller man with a bandanna over his styled up hair.

Aerith shook her head. "Not really, Biggs." She watched her remaining friends, Dennis and Wedge, stuff their bags into the lockers provided. She then patted the ground for them to sit on. In the far distance, she spotted Zack Fair walking over. Against the setting sun, Aerith noticed how bronze his skin looked and how happy he looked just walking over. Did Aerith really do him such a big favour by organising something as simple as a football match?

"Hey, I'm here," said Zack as he placed his bag beside Aerith. "Sorry to make you guys wait." Aerith shook her head to assure him that he did not need to worry.

Beside her, Jessie asked curiously, "Who is he?"

Aerith shrugged. "Just a friend that I met during the Halloween carnival. He is pretty new in the neighbourhood, I guess…?" She looked at Zack for confirmation. "'Cause he doesn't have friends to play football with."

"Actually…" Zack began but paused. "… Yeah, I'm quite new around here," he chuckled to himself.

"Zack?"

Upon hearing a familiar voice, both Aerith and Zack turned around. Aerith saw a man and a woman, holding hands. The blonde man looked comfortable in his sports attire but had a somewhat unnatural smile on his face. The woman next to him had her brown hair tied up in a high ponytail and was smiling widely. Tifa always looked ready for anything sporty.

Aerith recognized the both of them, but it was Zack who greeted, "Cloud!" She turned to Zack in surprise. How did Zack know Cloud?

Tifa, who was beside Cloud, exclaimed, "You are Cloud's roommate, aren't you?"

"Really?" Aerith asked again, turning to Zack.

It was Zack this time who was unnatural. He laughed awkwardly. "Yeah, what a coincidence!"

"Yes, a very small world indeed," said Cloud slowly, looking at Zack intently.

_Whoa, what's with the two of them? _Aerith wondered. _Great. So Zack, a man whom I know not a single thing of, is friends with Cloud, a man who also was a mystery to both Tifa and I. _

_Well, not Tifa anymore._

* * *

How Cloud and Tifa became a couple was a story in itself. They used to be friends in Nibelheim who lost contact over the years. They met again in Midgar, where Cloud told her that he was actually the famous singer, KAI. Details were a little hazy in Aerith's memory but long story short, Tifa found out that Cloud was lying about his identity. There was a lot of drama and the next thing Aerith knew, they announced that they were going out.

How they reconciled their issues was a mystery to Aerith. Tifa claimed that she knew the whole truth and why Cloud initially lied to her.

_In hindsight, _thought Aerith once when she first met Cloud Strife. _I should've asked Tifa to let me listen to Cloud's voice. There was no way I would not recognize KAI's voice. _Besides, Cloud had a very mild expression. Aerith found it hard to believe in the possibility that such a mild-looking man would evoke so much emotion in his singing voice. _I would not be able to believe easily that Cloud Strife is KAI._

"So… now I'm not allowed to know what's the deal with Cloud?" asked Aerith shortly after their reconciliation.

Tifa laughed nervously. "Yeah… Cloud's under a contract not to reveal the details of his job."

"I thought you said that you know the whole truth."

"He could only tell me what is his real job, but not the details." Tifa twirled her hair nervously, obviously choosing the right words to say. "But it's all cool, he had documents and evidence supporting his claim, so I'm not… particular about it."

Aerith threw her hands in the air. "I give up. You are now being annoying too."

Tifa giggled. "Tell that to him. He and his contract…"

_Hmm… Now where-_

"Hello?" Aerith vaguely heard her friend, Biggs, nudging her. "Hey! Stop daydreaming!"

Aerith blinked. "Sorry! I was just…" She glanced at Cloud. "… Thinking of stuff."

Dennis clicked his tongue. "If we don't get started, we will never get to leave this stadium!" He grinned cheekily. "Or shall we begin without you?"

Aerith stood up and swiped dirt off her shorts hastily. "Okay, I heard you guys already." She gestured at the field. "Shall we?"

* * *

The game lasted all evening. By the time they noticed, it was already night time and a good time to stop for supper. It was decided that they would go for a quick shower before heading to the bar where Tifa worked at for drinks. They were almost reaching the shuttle bus stop when Zack stopped. "I forgot my phone," he declared.

"Again?" groaned Cloud. "You're always forgetting…" he stopped while Tifa and Aerith giggled.

Tifa patted Cloud's back affectionately. "You sound like you're Zack's mother."

"It's not that far off…" grumbled Cloud. "He can be really careless."

"Aww, don't grumble," consoled Zack good-naturedly. "Shall I buy you a Mother's Day card?" Everyone giggled as Cloud punched Zack on his shoulder.

"Shall we all head back to retrieve your phone?" asked Jessie, but Zack shook his head.

"Nah, it's fine," he answered with a wave. "It's a long walk back to the stadium. You can go ahead to that bar. I'll catch up."

Wedge, a chubby man with an equally big heart, chuckled, "Oh good, because I'm hungry."

Dennis laughed. "Hungry as usual, aren't you, Wedge?"

"That's because Tifa's bar has a really good grilled food menu!" protested Wedge. Turning to Zack, he apologized, "Sorry that I'm not-"

Zack laughed. "Don't think too much about it, I'm cool!"

"I'll go with Zack," offered Aerith.

Dennis raised an eyebrow. "That's new. I would not expect- Oof!" He groaned as Tifa nudged him hard.

Biggs nodded. "We will head there and order first then."

Dennis cleared his throat. "Wait a minute, I'll go with Aerith and Zack too."

Tifa stared at him. "What for? They are just looking for a phone!" She nudged Dennis. "Don't be paranoid. If Zack's good friend Cloud is not bothered by it, why should you?" To that, Dennis had no argument against. "Come, we'll go for the grill now." She waved goodbye to Aerith.

Judging by the look of Tifa's cheeky grin, Aerith sighed inwardly. She recognized that knowing smile – she gave it to Tifa often when she was in denial about her feelings towards Cloud. _Well, you know what they say… you'll eventually get a taste of your own medicine._

* * *

"Did you find your phone?"

Zack looked at Aerith from his bench. Lifting up his phone and grinning, he said, "I found my phone but when I turned around, I lost sight of you."

Aerith blushed. She was gone for a long time, for biological reasons. "I went to the washroom," she answered simply. If he was going to start harping about what possible things she could do in the toilet…

"Yeah, thought so." He shrugged. "That's why I sat where I was and waited." Aerith sighed in relief, thankful that she did not need to explain any awkward situations. He stood up. "It would have been a lot easier to find you if I have your phone number."

She shrugged. "Fat hope."

"Well… At least let me give you mine." He stretched his hand over. "Or are we going to play medieval and go with the 'let's meet up on this day and this time', hmm?"

Aerith sighed and handed over her phone. If she were to call him, then he would know her number. _So just don't call him._

He punched in a few numbers but instead of returning her phone, Zack waited. Aerith's eyes widened, finally realizing what he was going to do. "Give my phone back!" She shouted, charging at Zack.

Zack lifted her phone high up and chuckled. "Of course not!"

"You are NOT going to use my phone to call yours!" She growled, jumping higher to reach for her phone.

"Aha!" was the triumphant cry of Zack Fair.

Aerith groaned loudly. Zack had gotten her number. "You idiot!" She made another jump, but this time, she landed on his feet. Zack yelped in pain – both fell over – and Aerith found herself in the arms of Zack Fair. He held her tightly as he took the impact of the floor, groaning as the pain hit him.

"You okay?" asked Zack.

They stared at each other, but soon realised that they were too close. Immediately, he released her and she scrambled off him. She sat very still and mumbled back, "You okay?"

"I'm fine," replied Zack a little quicker than normal.

"Yeah, me too."

There was an awkward silence as Aerith tried to make sense of what happened. _It was just like a cheesy love story,_ she thought to herself with a trace of disgust. The contact as he hugged her was still warm on her arms. She definitely did not like it, but… neither did she hate it.

"Sorry," said Zack and Aerith at the same time. They looked at each other. "Why are you apologizing?" They asked each other again.

Zack chuckled this time. Whenever he did that, she would relax too. Aerith found herself smiling now. "Maybe you should explain first," she said.

"Sorry for that awkward moment that we had there." Zack smiled. "I know you are uncomfortable with me yet…"

Aerith was not expecting that. "It's alright," she said. "You were trying to stop me from getting hurt." Zack grinned and cued her to explain her piece. Aerith gulped. "Umm… I don't mean to sound presumptuous or anything… but I'm sorry if you think I'll… The truth is, I'm really… I…" She took a deep breath. There was only one sentence that was most suitable to tell him, and it came from one of those thrashy love novels that her friends loved to read. "I don't do romance."

Zack looked a little confused. "I beg your pardon?"

For a moment, she wondered if she should stop talking before she made a fool out of herself. However, it was too late. "I don't want you to hang around me thinking that I will become interested in you. I'm not interested in having a relationship. I have no need for guys who..." She stopped herself from saying more. "I'm just not interested."

He looked at her quietly. Aerith shifted her position to a more comfortable one. It seemed like this conversation would take a long time. "Aerith…" he began. "I won't deny. To say that I'm not interested in you would be a lie."

Aerith stiffened at his words. "Then I'm sorry-"

"Hey, hey," interrupted Zack before she could continue. "It's true that I'm… interested but it doesn't mean that I'm actively pursuing you." He shrugged. "Well, not that I'm lazy to but…" He smiled. "As of now, it's fine if you don't like me, or if you're not interested, or if you like girls. I mean, I'm here because…" He looked at her. "Because I want to spend more time with you."

Aerith looked away. _I won't let myself fall for this. _She said to herself. _Every man starts off saying that they are not interested… but wait… he did say that he's interested… yet he is happy just spending time with me?_

_Don't think about it anymore._

Sensing that Aerith was not going to respond further, Zack stood. "Shall we go?" He asked softly.

She nodded, but not before blurting out, "I think you should give up."

Zack grinned and stretched out his hand. "But you know, love is always something to strive for, never to give up but to give in to."

Aerith ignored his outstretched hand, more out of surprise than impoliteness. She narrowed her eyes. "That's from KAI's song, "Love is…". To use the lyrics of the song as part of your lecture, that's plagiarism." She ended with a snide smile.

He looked at her blankly, but quickly broke into a grin. "I wouldn't have guessed that you're a fan of KAI." He began walking with her out of the stadium. "'Love is…' is not a song that he is famous for."

"I am such a huge fan of KAI, like you would ever know," said Aerith returning the grin. "What I would like to know is why you would-"

"I am a fan too," admitted Zack with his hands raised up. "I admit. I know his fan base are mostly girls, but I like his songs too. Now," said Zack, rubbing his chin. "How does a girl who does not like boys, be such a big fan of KAI?"

"I did not say that I don't like boys," protested Aerith, colouring at his remark. "Can you stop insinuating that? I do like boys, I'm just not ready for a relationship." _Maybe not ever, _she added in her mind, but she did not need him to know that. "With KAI, it is different," she huffed. "I admire him. I don't like him in a romantic way. His songs are not those usual, generic love-sick ballads. His lyrics talk about other emotions and experiences in life. That's something that not many singers do."

"You… really do like KAI, huh?" said Zack, his voice softening.

Aerith beamed. Talking about KAI always made her happy. "I do." She laughed. "But not in the romantic sense, okay? What's your favourite song?"

"I think mine would be 'Life's An Adventure', what about yours?"

"That's one of mine too!" She hummed the beginning few notes of the song and Zack joined in. Apparently Zack was as big a KAI fan as she was. He knew the lyrics to the song, although he was not an extraordinary singer, he was not too bad to listen to. Aerith soon found herself singing too.

"… Open your heart and look to the sky. Life's an adventure, a journey that you must ride." They looked at each other and sang, smiling. "There are challenges, no matter how hard you try but oh my friend look no further, I'll be right by your side."

They ended their chorus with a high-five. "You're a really good singer," said Zack with unmasked admiration.

Aerith giggled. "I won't say the same for you, but you're not bad."

Zack shrugged. "It's alright. I know my strengths and my weaknesses." He sighed. "I'm better in football than singing, maybe."

"Oh? Like how you missed your footing when you had that chance to shoot the ball?" She smiled cheekily. "You sure know your strengths."

"Hey!"

They laughed. They barely noticed the time while waiting for the shuttle bus to ferry them out of the university. When the bus reached the terminal, Zack got off and offered a hand for her hold on while she alighted. Aerith rolled her eyes. "You don't give up, do you?" Nevertheless, she held out her hand… Zack quickly grabbed it before she realised what she was doing. "Hey! I wasn't-"

He grinned, but he did not let go. Despite her numerous protests, Zack did not loosen his grip on her. Aerith considered, on more than one occasion, to shout and embarrass him into releasing her. Then she decided against it. She hated to admit it, but she had gotten a little used to the warm and clammy feeling in the hand that Zack was holding.

"… another news update… CEO of 'V Hotels'… missing after…" Around her, there was the buzz of the crowd walking briskly and the sound of the evening news blaring in the buildings, but Aerith did not notice. All her attention was on trying to keep up the pace of Zack and the uncomfortable, overwhelming feeling of her hand holding another's.

When he finally released her hand, Aerith looked at him quizzically. It was faster than she thought. She had expected him to hold her hand longer. Zack pointed above him, at the sign of the bar where Tifa worked. "We're here," declared Zack. He smiled. "You seemed a little disappointed that I've released your hand. If you want, we can-"

Aerith waved him off, trying to ignore the blush that crept onto her cheeks. "Touch me flippantly again, and tonight will be the last time we see each other again," she warned.

The man was not intimidated. He peered closer with a smug smile on his face. "You're blushing."

She rolled her eyes. Where did this man get his immeasurable confidence from? "I have not been in such close contact with a boy or a man for a long time, of course I'm uncomfortable. Geez, get over it."

Zack laughed. "Aerith Gainsborough, you are much, much cooler than you look!" He narrowed his eyes. "No close contact? Not even with your-"

Anticipating the question, Aerith answered for him. "My father walked out on us a few years ago." He opened his mouth and closed it quickly. Not wanting to hear any words of sympathy, Aerith jerked her thumb at the entrance of the grill bar. "Let's just go in," she muttered.

Zack followed after in silence.

* * *

Dinner at the bar went smoothly. Aerith narrowed her eyes when Dennis insisted that she should sit in the empty seat next to him, but did not protest whatsoever. In the end, she sat next to Dennis while Zack sat further away, next to Cloud and Tifa. Aerith was relieved that she did not have to entertain Zack Fair any further. Whatever that they had earlier on… was awkward. They were in close contact, she had too much fun with him and he asked her about her father.

_Look at the trouble you are giving me, Zack, _she thought crossly. _It's too much trouble to think about this. _Then again, she would hardly confess about such personal matters to someone whom she barely knew. Zack perhaps had an ability to make people feel comfortable to open up about themselves.

Without Zack around, she did not need to be self-conscious. She laughed and joked with everyone. Zack did not need to be taken care of – he was naturally talkative and he had his moments of attention from the group too. At some point during the dinner, Aerith went to the washroom with Jessie following after.

"So?" she asked. "What's between you and Zack?"

Aerith shook her head. "Nothing. I met him during the carnival and he said that he needed someone to play football with so I introduced him to everyone."

"Kinda hard to believe." Jessie tossed her ponytail to the other side. "From the other girls, I would. But for you? I've never seen you bring a boy along for anything!"

Aerith shrugged. "I… just… wanted to help?" The look on Jessie's face was as though she understood everything. Aerith hated that. "It's really, not, what it is. Look, I'll explain to you and Tifa soon, alright?"

"So there _is _something!"

She sighed and gestured the door. "Now, are you going to leave me and let me go to the toilet?"

When Aerith and Jessie came back, Wedge waved excitedly. "Guess what? The live band has ended. The bar is now asking for people to use the stage freely for performing."

Tifa groaned. "Wedge! I will not ask my friends to entertain the people in my workplace!"

Aerith cringed. "I don't want to sing in front of so many people."

"But we like to hear you sing," said Dennis with a wide smile.

"That's rich, coming from someone who called me their 'personal jukebox'." She narrowed her eyes at him.

Dennis frowned. "You know, you've got to stop being so prickly about everything I say. Or maybe you would like to enlighten me if there are more things that I'm not aware about?"

Biggs looked up from his beer. "Leave Aerith alone," he said. "If she wants to sing, she'll sing."

"Thank you, Biggs." Aerith smiled sweetly at him.

Dennis sighed impatiently. "Geez, if you are going to be so fussy every time…"

"Dennis!" chided Tifa, looking up at him sharply.

Zack raised his hand. "Gee, if it's just singing a few songs… I can sing."

Everyone clapped gleefully… except for Aerith and Cloud, who stared at him as though he was nuts. "Don't bother," laughed Aerith. "We know how you sound like."

Zack looked offended. "You said that I wasn't bad!"

Aerith grinned. "But I wouldn't send you up onstage and embarrass Tifa, would I? Look, even your roommate doesn't want to see you singing."

"Exactly!" Cloud agreed enthusiasticaly. Very quickly, he suggested, "Let's just not sing. Maybe we can do something else?" He broke into a wide smile. "I know, let's play a game. I just learnt it a few days ago."

The game that Cloud thought of was so novel and interesting that eventually everyone forgot about the singing incident. All except Aerith. _Very impressive, _she thought to herself as she glanced at Cloud Strife. _He is very good at diverting attention away. Such good conflict mediators are hard to find. Maybe it had something to do with his secretive job?_

She made a mental note to ask Zack about it next time.

* * *

Hurray, another chapter done! I'm kind of churning out the chapters really slowly, so bear with me! Also, here's a virtual cookie if anyone knows which trashy love novel Aerith was talking about!

Oh yeah, almost forgot. The song "Life is an Adventure", is original. I did not breach any copyright issues, thank you very much.

A big thank you to sunflowerspot and anonymous readers for your lovely and thoughtful reviews. They really made my day so much brighter reading them!


	7. Aerith: Confessions

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

**Chapter 7 – Confessions**

Nobody complained when Dennis suggested to leave. It was an hour before midnight when they stepped out of the grill bar. The bar was still lively at this hour, but the group of friends were tired. They still had school the next day.

Zack turned to them with a wide grin on his face. "Thanks for today!"

Wedge slapped Zack and Cloud on their backs. "It's fun to have the two of you around!" He pointed at Cloud. "That game you've got just now?" He kept jabbing a finger at him. "Epic!"

"He sounds drunk," said Tifa, shaking her head but smiling.

Cloud smiled as well, wrapping an arm around Tifa. "I'm glad that you like it, Wedge."

Jessie agreed with Wedge. "I can't believe that the two of you do not have enough friends in Midgar."

"Well… uh…" Both Cloud and Zack looked at each other.

"We are usually busy with our work," said Cloud, giving Tifa a knowing glance.

"Mine too," added Zack.

Aerith grinned cheekily. "Oh? I thought your cabaret job is only busy at night."

Zack dropped his jaw and stared at Aerith. "After all that hinting, you've concluded that I'm a cabaret dancer dressed in drag?"

She raised her eyebrows innocently. "I've never said that you were in drag."

Everyone laughed heartily. Biggs folded his arms. "Well, feel free to join us whenever." He looked at his friends. "We've exchanged phone numbers anyway, so we can meet up more often."

Wedge and Jessie agreed unanimously while Dennis grunted. Aerith glanced at him curiously. Dennis had been behaving oddly the whole night. Normally, he would be ready for a joke or a witty comeback. Dennis was usually more lively and outstanding, albeit a little sharp-tongued. Tonight, he seemed a little disgruntled.

"Well then," said Jessie with a final wave. "We'll see you around!"

"Aerith." Aerith felt Tifa tap on her shoulder. "Cloud and I are going off on our own. Shall we walk home with you first?"

Aerith considered Tifa's suggestion. It was most likely that Zack would offer to send her back, since he had already made his feelings clear. However, she was not ready to talk to Zack alone. _He will definitely ask about my dad, or my reluctance to sing, or both. _She thought. _It's safer to have Tifa and Cloud go back home with me first._

She was about to answer when Dennis blurted, "Your house is along the way. I'll send her home."

_Dennis offers to send girls home? _Aerith thought. _That's new. _She had always thought that Dennis was a bit of a chauvinist. It was good for her anyway. She wanted to check and see if he was okay. Unpleasant or not, Dennis was a friend. "I don't mind," she shrugged.

It seemed that all eyes now turned to Zack Fair. If he noticed it, he did not show it. "What about you, Zack?" asked Jessie curiously.

He stretched himself. "I'll be heading home to get some work done." He grinned and nodded at Aerith. "Thanks for inviting me today, Aerith. I had a good time."

Aerith blinked. She expected him, at the very least, to show signs of surprise when Dennis spoke up. "It's not much," she answered, wondering why she felt awkward instead. "At least you managed to play soccer today."

Zack chuckled. "I think I've achieved more than that." He gave her a knowing smile, to which Aerith stopped herself from looking away in embarrassment. "Time to go back to my cabaret work with no worries."

"Come, Aerith," urged Dennis, holding her by her wrist. "I'll send you home." He waved them goodbye and left before Aerith could say more.

* * *

Aerith and Dennis may be friends since high school, but they were friends because they belonged to a large group of friends. They were close as a group but not between the two of them. However, Dennis never gave Aerith that uncomfortable feeling that she often felt when the other boys of the group tried to grow closer to her. She admitted that she was apprehensive when Dennis first suggested to send her home.

Once they were alone, Aerith saw that she did not need to worry at all. He immediately released his hold on her and talked to her as usual. No longer was he the grumpy figure at the dinner table – he was back to the pleasantly annoying Dennis that Aerith knew since high school. They talked about high school, and then about various friends that were now in different paths pursuing their goals and ambitions.

As he talked, he gestured and laughed and make rude but witty comments. Aerith smiled. Dennis may be annoying and insensitive, but he –

"What are you smiling like that for?" Dennis asked with a raised eyebrow. "You look creepy."

Aerith smiled cheekily. "I was thinking about you."

He cringed. "Now you are creepy."

She laughed. "Oh, you wound me. I was thinking about how nice a person you can be…" Aerith hesitated. "Sometimes…" Aerith hesitated again. "Once in a while…"

"You sure know how to compliment a guy," chuckled Dennis. Aerith gave him a cheeky grin in response.

They walked a bit more in silence before Aerith began, "Actually, spending time with you is fun, despite my constant display of disgust at your actions."

He fell silent at her words and she wondered if she said the wrong thing. _To be fair, I have always been disgusted at what boys do and say,_ she thought. _But I guess I was insensitive in my words._

Dennis looked at her with suspicion. "Aerith, what are you doing? This isn't like you at all."

"Great, I must've been a lot more horrible than I thought." Aerith cleared her throat. "I'm sorry if I've been mean about you. I mean, it IS the truth-"

"Thanks."

"You ARE insensitive, but I've come to accept it more." Aerith grinned. "Besides, you always speak what is on your mind. I appreciate that more than carefully thought out words with hidden agendas."

He did not immediately reply. "So… that's why you've been my friend through these years?" He mumbled.

"I'm not going to lie…" giggled Aerith. "Yeah."

He was quiet for a brief moment before changing the topic, "So… is everything okay at home? Since you know… your dad…"

"Yeah…" She nodded slowly. "We get by."

"Aerith…"

She looked at Dennis with some concern. He seemed to be beating around the bush tonight and hiding something from her. "If you need to tell me something, just spill it." She made a face.

"I just… want to tell you… that if you need any help, or any support…" He shrugged. "I'm here, you know."

She smiled. "Thanks. I'll remember that."

"No…" He shook his head. "You won't. You have been keeping to yourself for so many years… putting up a front when you are with everyone…"

"And I did fine on my own, even before Tifa and Jessie came along," she snapped. Why was Dennis so nosy all of a sudden? Even though Dennis was correct, she did not want to acknowledge it. Aerith hated thinking about the past, about how she had to force a smile every day when her mother was struggling to make ends meet again. "Stop bringing up the past," she murmured. _If he is going to pick at all my emotional scabs, he will get it from me._

"It is not the past, is it?"

"Dennis! Get off my case already, will you?" She spun at Dennis, glaring at him. "What are you doing? Why are you so interested in my pain?"

His mouth was open, ready to retort, but he closed it and sighed. "You silly girl," he murmured with a sad smile. "It's because I like you."

Aerith blinked and felt her jaw slacken. "Wha-"

Dennis looked at her long enough for her to realise that everything that was happening now was not a dream. "I like you, Aerith Gainsborough," Dennis repeated.

* * *

"So?" asked Tifa excitedly. "What did you say?"

Aerith buried her face in her pillow. "Give me a break. Do I need to report everything to you?" She looked at the two women in her room.

Tifa and Jessie glanced at each other, before saying "Yeah!" at the same time.

"Hey, you half-baked me about Cloud, remember?" Tifa poked Aerith's head gently. "About time you return the favour."

Aerith nodded into her pillow. "Okay, okay…" She lifted her head from her pillow and sighed. She recalled what happened last night. "Well, I was shocked. I mean, I never saw Dennis that way. And I was grateful that he never saw me in that way… at least, that was what I thought."

"You rejected him… right?" asked Jessie, leaning closer.

"Not really." Aerith sighed.

"Not really?" echoed Jessie. It was not like Aerith to give any boy a second chance.

"Dennis knows that I'm struggling with my father issues. He said that he can wait, before I could reject him properly." Aerith hid her face in her pillow again. "I can't believe it! There has been someone who liked me since high school and I was blind enough to not notice and reject him at the earliest chance!"

Tifa shook her head. "It's not easy, you know. Neither Jessie nor I noticed if Dennis treated you differently. He was really… skilled in hiding his feelings towards you."

"You know what is the scary thing?" said Aerith, peeking out from her pillow. "I don't dislike him. The feeling is not romantic, but he has always been just a friend to me. He treated me like how he would treat anyone else, that was why I've been comfortable spending time with him. He's… probably the only boy that I know for that long…" She frowned. "Who is still in close contact with me."

Jessie gave a devilish smile. "Does that mean that you might end up liking Dennis?" Aerith looked at her in surprise. "I mean, you've been skeptical about the intentions of boys since your father left. If Dennis has been anything, he has been consistent."

"Consistently annoying," added Tifa with a small grin.

"He speaks what is on his mind and does not have hidden agendas." Jessie shrugged. "Isn't that the kind of guy that you might want to be with in the future?"

Aerith looked at Jessie and Tifa for a moment… then shook her head. "I can't imagine myself falling for anyone. Period."

"That's what I used to say." Nodded Tifa. "But I met Cloud… Say, Aerith, be honest. How do you feel towards Dennis?"

"I don't dislike him."

"Yeah, but being together with someone just because you don't dislike him is not enough." Tifa stretched her legs and crossed them again. "Do you have any… additional feelings when you are with him?"

Aerith shook her head. "Never."

Tifa slumped back against the wall. "If there is nothing between you and Dennis, it's kinda hard to push it."

"It's..." She trailed off. She wanted to tell them that one cannot trust on their feelings alone. However, she realised that that was exactly how Tifa decided that she should give Cloud a second chance. Aerith was the one who encouraged Tifa to follow her heart, but now that the opportunity came back to her, she was not so sure.

"It's?"

"… It's true." Aerith smiled, nodding. She could not be a hypocrite and not follow the same medicine that she prescribed.

"Then…" Jessie grabbed Aerith's wrist suddenly. "What about Zack?"

Strangely, Aerith felt her face warm up. "… What about him?" She asked, pulling her hand away.

"Don't act as if you don't know what I'm talking about!" Jessie scoffed. "That's the reason why I came here, you know." She folded her arms. "Are you going to spill about Zack, or not?"

"Alright, alright…" sighed Aerith. She explained how she met Zack and what happened between the two of them before they joined them at the bar. At last when she ended, Aerith felt embarrassed, as though she was sharing something secretive. "He is just annoying. Being with him makes me really uncomfortable."

"What kind of 'uncomfortable'?" asked Jessie.

Tifa added with a smile. "'Cause you certainly did not look uncomfortable with him enough. I mean, you could hold a conversation with him and you even allowed him to hold your hand!"

Aerith narrowed her eyes. She really want that memory to be erased from their minds. Forever. "It's really hard to explain…" Aerith mumbled. "He's fun to be with, but also dangerous. Apart from that hand-holding thing, he does not really cross the line. However…" She held her arms. "Being with him makes me feel uneasy. I don't feel like myself."

"Like… extra conscious of your actions and what you say?" offered Tifa.

Aerith stared at Tifa. "Exactly," she affirmed.

Tifa and Jessie looked at each other, and gave Aerith a big, wide smile. "Looks like it's not uneasiness," teased Jessie. "Isn't it nice? To be so affected by someone such that you are conscious of yourself?"

"I… don't think I understand what you mean."

Tifa held Aerith's hand. "I feel that way towards Cloud."

Aerith now understood what Tifa and Jessie meant. "Oh… no, no, no, no…" She shook her head and pulled her hand away. "I don't like Zack like that. I think these feelings are just discomfort because I hardly am in such close contact with a guy."

Jessie sighed and folded her arms. "Since you say so…"

* * *

_Why don't you find out?_

"I wasn't expecting you to ask me out," said Zack with a grin. "It has been two lonesome weeks without you." He reached over to touch her face.

Aerith pulled away before he could touch her. She made a face. "Don't get me wrong. It's not a date!" She gestured at herself. She was wearing a plain t-shirt and a pair of comfortable jeans. "If I were going on a date, you'd think I'll put in more effort in my attire, wouldn't you?" She flipped her ponytail.

Zack took a step back and looked at Aerith's outfit closely. She felt uncomfortable under his blue gaze. He broke into a smile and said, "To be honest, I like you this way too. I mean, girls look really pretty when they dress up for the ones they like. But when they look this… natural." He smiled. "I like it too."

Aerith rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Mr. Smooth-talker. Just promise me that you will keep your hands to yourself today."

He lifted his pinky finger as a promise. She then allowed him to lead the way towards the train station. She was relieved that he did not try to take her hand again this time. Since her talk with Jessie and Tifa, Aerith had been holding off meeting up with Zack, despite his many messages. She had expected him to drop the scent but he was persistent. Then again, she was not very firm in her rejection. There were days that they communicated frequently over texting.

_Not good. I don't want him to get the wrong idea. _

Aerith took a deep breath.

_I'll show Jessie and Tifa that the discomfort is not because I like him. _She decided.

Looking at his bright and genuinely excited face, Aerith wondered when that knot in her heart will loosen.

* * *

"Another meatball skewer?"

"No, please," begged Aerith. She took a deep breath and wondered if her stomach was going to break any moment. "I told you just now that we should not have gotten three more meatball skewers!"

"But… but three skewers are only 40 gil!" whined Zack, swaying from left to right.

"Not when we ate so much earlier on," replied Aerith, half wanting to burp.

Zack pointed in the far corner. "I want to try that water chestnut drink!" He exclaimed.

"No way." Aerith's jaw dropped. "I'm already full!"

"Come on!" He urged, grabbing her hand. Then, he looked down and let go immediately. "Sorry… I promised not to touch you already." He wrapped his hands behind his back.

"It's… It's alright," replied Aerith hastily.

He peered at her face. "Aww, don't look so disappointed already."

"I'm not!"

He laughed and they walked on towards the water chestnut drink shop. Aerith squinted at his hair. Against the bright shop lights, his hair was not as black as she thought. "Did you dye your hair recently?"

He instinctively put his hand up… and awkwardly put it down. "Oh? Yeah, I did." He laughed.

"So it's not naturally black?"

"No, it is naturally black. I dyed it back to black… Maybe a week or so before the carnival? I still prefer my natural hair colour." He grinned running his hand up and down his head.

"Eew!" Aerith shielded her sausage from him. "Don't get your head lice on me!"

He dropped his jaw. "What are you?" He scoffed, spreading his arms out in incredulity. "A kid? Well, I'm a bigger kid than you are!" He leaned forward and tussled his hair more, closer to her food.

Aerith screamed a little and squirmed away before he could get any closer. She was laughing and trying very hard to avoid him. Suddenly, she knocked into something. "Op-"

Her response was a loud wail. She turned around to find a little boy who looked no older than five. He had messed up hair, thanks to Aerith's carelessness, and a red nose. "Mummy!" He cried.

Aerith bent over and apologized. "I didn't see you!" She looked around, trying to identify a woman who could be the boy's mother. There was no such person in sight.

"I want my mummy!"

Aerith looked at him. "Where is she?"

Zack bent over and straightened the little boy's hair. "Have you lost your mother?"

The boy choked between tears and sobs. "I dunno."

They glanced at each other. "I'll walk around," offered Aerith.

* * *

A few minutes later, Aerith walked towards where she left Zack. The boy's mother was nowhere to be found. She, however, quickly spotted Zack. He had the boy propped on his shoulders. The boy was beaming and looking around. Zack was talking excitedly to the boy too. Beside him, there was an elderly couple who was talking to the both of them. Zack answered them and the couple smiled in response.

Aerith stood by and watched the elderly couple walk away. She watched Zack talking to random strangers and helping out – with a boy on his shoulders. He looked a little tired but he did not show it.

_How is it that he does not have many friends? _She wondered. _He is kind and approachable to whoever he sees… _She smiled to herself. _I have to admit, he is not that bad a person… _

"Look!" shouted the boy. "There's that big sister!"

"Aerith!" shouted Zack as well. They both waved her over.

When she was closer to the two of them, she raised an eyebrow. "What do you think you are doing, Zack?" She asked.

"Well, Roy and I could not see you nor his mother, so I suggested carrying him," Zack answered, swinging the boy's legs that were dangling from his shoulders. Roy giggled. Zack looked up at Roy. "Seen your mother yet?"

"Nope!"

Aerith sighed. It was a better solution for now. Beside her, she could hear people giggle and comment. _Looking at the three of us, we must look like what we look like,_ she realised.

"Is this your son?" asked one of the mothers. "You're really young to be a father!"

Aerith tensed. _What's that supposed to mean? _She half-glared at the woman. _How can you just jump to conclusions like that?_

She felt Zack pull her sleeve gently, preventing her from retorting back. She watched Zack, who laughed, "No! I'm not his father." Upon hearing his laugh, Aerith stopped tensing. She stared at him, who was not looking offended or embarrassed at all.

"Big brother is helping me find my mother!" quipped in Roy.

"Oh!" gasped the mother, realizing her mistake. "I'm sorry that I've-"

"It's fine!" chuckled Zack. "I do hope to be one someday… But first, I got to find a girlfriend…" For some reason, Aerith avoided his gaze.

"Roy!" a voice shouted in the distance.

Roy waved his arms excitedly. "Mommy!"

With the boy and mother finally reunited, they thanked them profusely. Zack watched them walk away with a smile on his face. Aerith touched his sleeve gently. When Zack turned to look at her, Aerith smiled and asked, "Water chestnut drink?"

* * *

Thank you for reading.


	8. Aerith: GAST

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

**Chapter 8 – GAST **

After the lost boy fiasco on the streets, Zack brought her to a beautiful place. Aerith had been to Emerald Hill a couple of times, but not to the top of the hill. Looking down, Aerith could see the night lights twinkling in the city of Midgar. There were lots of viewing platforms running across the hill, making the place a suitable spot for night scene viewing.

"Interesting," murmured Zack. "There aren't many people around tonight."

Aerith checked her watch. "It's still dinnertime for many people, so I guess that is why." With all that street food that they ate, they were too full for dinner.

They took the stairs from one platform to the next. "Hey, gimme a moment, I want to try this out." Before Aerith could respond, Zack ran towards a tree with low hanging branches. He expertly grabbed branch by branch and soon, he was up on the tree. (A/N: Please do not try this at home!)

"You're pretty good at climbing trees." Aerith observed.

Zack laughed. "We always climb trees back in Gongaga. Too bad Midgar is too metropolitan. I'd love to bring children here to climb trees. The view up here is amazing!" He looked down at Aerith. "I'm coming down now, alright?"

She held up a hand. "Don't trouble yourself. I'll come up."

His eyes were wide like plates. "Really?"

Her answer was a less smooth but almost as skillful climb up the tree. When she reached the branch next to Zack's, she panted. "I am not as good as I used to." She glared at Zack, who was beaming. "What?"

"I can't believe you did that!" laughed Zack loudly.

Aerith placed her hands akimbo. "You don't know me at all." She smirked. "I am quite the adventurous one." She looked out from the tree. "You're right. The scenery is great up here." She smiled and breathed in deeply.

Zack raised his hands. "I admit. I couldn't tell. Then again, I did say that you were not quite the stiff-necked prude that I had initially thought."

She did a mock-bow. "Why, thank you." She giggled. "I'm alright, I think. Although, there are certain things that I won't…" There she stopped and did not finish her sentence.

Zack peered at her. "Like not singing love songs in front of people? And not falling in love ever?" Aerith narrowed her eyes at him. He took a deep breath. "I asked Tifa," he admitted.

"I guess you did…" Aerith said quietly. "So she told you about my father?"

Zack nodded. "She mentioned that he walked out on your family a few years ago. Your mother and you have been struggling to move on… but it's difficult." She did not immediately reply, so he continued. "It's one thing to not be ready for a relationship. It's another to swear not to fall in love again." He shifted himself closer to the tree trunk… closer to her. "What happened?"

At first, she did not answer, but Zack waited patiently. Then, when she knew that she could not run away from the confession any longer, she said, "… My father… is GAST."

He widened his eyes. "GAST?" He sat up straighter. "He is your-" Zack immediately understood. "I see… I get it now." He covered his face with his hands. "I should've seen the resemblance."

"I don't really look like him, anyway," said Aerith. "Not like I want people to identify me as someone related with him."

GAST is a well-known country singer, highly popular and highly sought after in concerts and performances… except for that one incident three years ago. He cheated on his family with a woman in his entertainment company and it became nation-wide news. GAST subsequently kept a low profile for a year and a half. Recently, he has returned to the singing industry… and was doing as well as before.

Aerith nodded. "You're right. It's difficult to move on. I see his face almost every day on posters and such…" she covered her face. "To be reminded of what he had done to my mom…" She took a deep breath.

Zack leaned back and nodded slowly. "So… no celebrity boyfriends, huh?" He said with a weak grin, but Aerith was not amused.

She looked at him as though he was nuts. "It's not just celebrity boyfriends, Zack. I don't want to have a boyfriend." She groaned. "It's not that I did not try, okay? In high school, I went out with people. They all turned out to be jerks who were only around me because they heard I was the daughter of GAST. None of them cared for me the way they should." Aerith clenched her fists. "So why bother? It's too troublesome, having that feeling of wanting to be with someone but always afraid that I'll be left aside and abandoned one day…" She stopped. She did not want to continue. Zack had seen enough of her vulnerability.

Zack looked at her quietly. "Do you need my preaching?" He asked quietly.

"No, I really don't." Aerith shook her head and tried to keep her irritation minimal.

"I guess not," he sighed. "I won't try to then…" He glanced at her. "Even though I have many things that I want to say…" Aerith did not reply. "… Even though I really wish you can hear-"

"Stop it," said Aerith crossly. "I don't want to hear it."

"Fine, fine…" Zack said. He scooted himself off the branch and slowly climbed back down onto the ground.

Aerith peered over where she was sitting. It was easy to climb up, but she doubted that she had the confidence to climb back down. Zack, noticing her uneasiness, stretched his arms towards her. "Jump," he said. "I'll catch you."

She shook her head. There was no way he could catch her from that height. "I'll get down on my own."

Zack rolled his eyes at her. "Stop being such an idiot. What happened to adventurous?"

She pouted. He was using her words against her, but she knew that denying that would mean that she contradicted herself. She uneasily peered over and checked the path from her position to the ground for any branches that could hit her… took a deep breath… and leaped off from her branch, screaming. She struggled to keep her legs bent and her arms wide out towards Zack-

"Oooph!" They grunted as they tumbled onto the ground.

(A/N: Seriously, please do not try this at home, or in the park, or anywhere, either! This is shoujo manga, nothing in the shoujo world can go wrong!)

"Are you alright?" asked Aerith anxiously.

He held her by her shoulders and grinned with mischievous eyes. "That makes it two times already."

She blushed, remembering very well how they also fell onto each other when she was trying to grab her handphone from Zack. She scrambled onto her feet and helped Zack up too. "I guess you're fine…" she said curtly, releasing hands when he was back on his feet.

"Aerith… Are you-"

"Don't," she warned. "I said that you don't have to say anything about my dad."

He sighed. "Well, how about this? I'll sing you a song. You listen better to songs, I think."

Aerith sighed. _He is not going to give up, is he? _She gave him a small smile. "Only if you sing me a KAI song."

He smiled and looked at the city view below. He hummed a bit and began singing. "Look at you, all scared of the world." His voice was usually a little pitchy, but today he was pitchier, almost nervous.

"I'm not." Aerith glared at him and shook her head.

Zack ignored her, grinning. "Building walls around your broken heart."

"Don't try and fool me." She folded her arms. "That's not a KAI song." In fact, it was a song that she had never heard before.

"Pretending that you don't care is not the way," sang Zack. He spread his arms out. "Don't make me sad with those words that you say. Darling, will you listen to me today?"

Aerith smirked. "Just like a musical, huh? Sure, humour me."

Zack grinned. "Being with you," he sang, leaning his face closer to her. Aerith immediately pulled away. "Is such a wonderful thing. Who knew that duets can be made for me?" His voice became more confident and his smile widened. "You are one of a kind that everyone loves, but not the way that I do. Baby, please believe."

Of all the various kinds of suitors, she had never met one who composed a song for her. "How long did it take for you to come up with this song?" She muttered, but found that she could not hide her smile. This one, at least, was novel.

"But you say you're scared to love. Take that plunge and fall in love with me!" He grabbed her wrist and twirled her around. "Take a look around, see the world out there." He pointed out at the city below. "There are so many things to give a second chance. Darling, don't be shy, it is worth a try. Look at me and say 'I will'."

Aerith laughed. Zack was entertaining, no doubt.

Suddenly, she felt herself being pulled closer to him. He pulled her in by her waist. "To say that I'm not interested would just be a lie," he sang slowly. "You've won my heart from the day I first said, 'Hi'."

Aerith gazed up at him, with his eyes full of sincerity and affection. He smiled sadly and sang, "You're afraid to love but yet you want to, please let me in." He caressed her hair. "Love is not to give up but to give in."

_To give in… _Aerith gazed upon him, wondering when did the knot in her heart loosen. "I…" She mumbled. She pushed him away, though not as roughly as she would like. "Please don't think that one song is going to make me fall for you." She did not dare look at Zack when she said that, though.

"Aerith…" Zack said. "It's not a matter of whether you choose me or not. I don't want to see you shackled by your own standards. Nobody is perfect. Everyone makes mistakes. Big and horrible ones." When she did not reply, he sighed. "I may not be the one for you, but someone else may be the one for you. Would you push him away like that also?"

"I don't know if there's anyone who is meant for me."

"Then…" Zack held her hand. "Let me be with you, until you find the liberation you think you don't need…" He shook his head. "Not like lovers, or anything! I mean… it'll be awesome…" He trailed off. "But I think you need more time than that."

Aerith pulled her hand away and stepped back. "What's in it for you?"

"Huh?"

"Seriously?" Aerith narrowed her eyes at him closely. "What's in it for you? Why are you so nice to me? Do you have some kind of ulterior motive?"

He dropped his jaw. "No…" He shook his head. "No… I don't." His voice was hurt. "I just…"

Aerith was not buying it. "I don't believe you. I really don't see why you would want to treat me so well, even after I've made myself pretty clear that I'm not interested in you." She turned around. "I don't need your sympathy," she mumbled. "And who's to know if you are being completely honest with me."

"Aerith…" Zack sighed. "Well, you know what?" He threw his hands up. "I admit. There is something."

_I knew it, _thought Aerith, her heart sinking. _He's lying to me about something._

"I don't want to continue this…" He gestured between them. "Thing, without being honest. You were hurt by people who lied to you before."

"So you've been lying to me?" She folded her arms.

"No! I just… kept information from you." He looked away. "Everything you know about me is true. Cloud is my roommate, we really don't have friends…" He laughed dryly. "But there are things that I'm withholding from you."

She got it immediately. "Your job."

Zack nodded. "Yes, I cannot tell you what my job is. I'm currently on a break, that's why my schedule has been free. When I go back to my job, my schedule will become irregular and unexpected. I may be having dinner plans with you and I may suddenly cancel on you. We could be playing bridge with Tifa and Cloud and suddenly, I got to go." He lifted his hands. "You gotta need four people to play bridge, right?"

"It's not my problem," said Aerith, rolling her eyes. "If you just… leave me alone from the beginning, you would not need to worry about these things."

"Are you sure that that is what you want?"

Aerith looked at Zack defiantly. "I'm not the one in love, Zack Fair." She pointed out bluntly.

"Really?" asked Zack Fair softly. He lifted his hand towards her face, but dropped it. Aerith noticed it. "Then why do you go out of the way to help me with my experiences, hmm?"

"I… I don't know what you are talking about," muttered Aerith.

"You gave me the chance to kick football, you even did not mind walking out the entire day with me to eat street food and do random stuff…" Zack looked at her, his blue eyes unwavering.

"That was… I was just pitying you!" She exclaimed. She gripped her arms tighter. "Don't think too highly of yourself!"

Zack chuckled sadly. "Fine, then… Fine, my lady. Take it that you don't care about us at all, because you said so. But I want to be by your side, so much."

Aerith looked at him. "Zack, why? What is it that you see in me that makes you so…"

"In love?" suggested Zack.

"Annoyingly persistent," corrected Aerith.

He whistled. "Well, I gotta admit… my reason is closely linked to my secret too."

Aerith looked down at her toes. "You know what?" She shook her head. "I'm flattered, Zack, that you think so highly of me. But I don't want this," she said, spreading her arms out. "None of this… nonsense. This ambiguity or uncertainty." She pointed at him. "You can keep your secret. You have been the only one delusioned in this game anyway. We never had anything going on in the first place. So…" She looked away. "Stop talking as though you had a chance."

Zack's mouth was open, ready to reply, then he closed it. "If… If you say so," he said quietly. He looked genuinely upset that Aerith felt a little bad. Just a little.

"I… I had fun with you, despite all this." She forced a smile. "It's just-"

"I know." He smiled back sadly. "You've made yourself clear from the beginning. I was just an idiot for thinking that I could get a chance." He nodded. "I enjoyed myself too. So… Should I send you home?"

For some reason, she thought about how Dennis offered to send her home. She had been thinking on and off about why Zack did not question about Dennis at all. Tonight, somehow… she really wanted to talk to Zack some more. She _wanted_ Zack to send her home.

_It was a horrible lie… _She said to herself. _To tell him that he did not stand a chance. If we met under different circumstances… I…_

_Don't be silly. _Another voice in her head cut in. _You've already rejected him. Don't ask for his company._

Aerith shook her head. "I'll be fine… You should go."

He laughed dryly. "I see, you don't even want me to…"

"It's not that-"

He shook his head. "I should go," he said finally. Even Aerith knew that arguing with him would be futile.

They walked down Emerald Hills in silence. He waited with her for the bus and when she boarded the bus, he waved and walked away. Aerith sat back against her seat and felt the knot in her heart tighten. She had that kind of feeling as though it would be the last time she would see Zack Fair. She also had that kind of feeling as though she had done something that she would regret for a very, very long time.

* * *

It was difficult to forget what had happened. Aerith kept replaying the scene in her head over and over again. Why was it that her heart could not find peace after rejecting this one?

_Could it be that I really like Zack?_

She could not write off her question with a confident "No". She liked Zack, but not in the romantic way. Not enough to consider him as a love interest, definitely.

_What would then, be a love enough to consider as a love interest? _A small voice challenged her. Aerith had no answer to that. _You said it yourself. If the both of you met in different circumstances, you would have already given him more than a chance. _Aerith sighed. Talking to herself without conclusion was pointless. She looked up at the starless night and wondered if Zack was okay after her rejection.

_Well, he seemed to get my message, finally. _She sighed. _Maybe it will be the last time that we will see each other, unless Tifa and Cloud have other plans. What a shame, he's quite a nice guy. _She hid that uncomfortable feeling inside. _I did not even have the chance to ask him about that song that he sang just now…_

_Aerith, you will not see him again. Don't think about it anymore._

In the distance, before her front door, stood a man. He had his face covered up and he was wearing a hat. He peered into the house and looked around.

"A robber?" She murmured to herself, hiding herself around the corner and out of sight before he could see her. "Great, just great," she grumbled. "A man is outside my house and I don't know how to get in." She considered calling her mother but she said that she was out on a company dinner. Tifa was also not at home. "I should've asked Zack…"

She shook her head. Zack should not even be in the solution. There had to be some other way. She looked around her, hoping to find someone who could help her. There was a figure about a hundred metres away, walking towards her. He looked strangely familiar…

"Aerith!"

She blinked. "Zack?" She walked towards him as well. "What are you doing here?" She took one step back. "Are you following me home?"

"What?" He frowned. "No! I'm not that sort… I just…"

"Before you say anything, listen." Aerith pointed in front of her. "There is a man in front of my house. I can't tell who he is."

His face was serious and he immediately knew that Aerith wanted. "Okay, I'll walk you home." She breathed a sigh of relief, which he noticed. "Should've asked me to send you home." He smirked.

"Okay, okay… I got it."

The man looked up as they approached him. "Elmy… No…" He removed his sunglasses. "You must be Aerith…"

Aerith was speechless as she recognized the man's face. Words would not come out of her mouth. After three years of waiting and wondering, to see him standing in front of her… _Why? _She wondered. _Why appear only now?_

Beside her, Zack recognized the man too. "You're that-!" He almost choked. "GAST!"

Gast looked at Zack, and back at Aerith. "What a fine, young man. Is he your boyfriend?"

Aerith felt like her entire spine had turned into ice, but it was not from his question. "N… No," she answered. She looked at the man whom she once called 'father. How should she address him now? Aerith decided not to address him at all. "W- What are you doing here?" She did not like how she sounded. She took a deeper breath.

"I was… just in the neighbourhood. Wanted to come and check on you and your mother."

_Bullshit! _She wanted to shout. "Mom's not at home. And by the way," she folded her arms. "You forgot to pay for alimony this month."

Gast smiled. "That's because I've got something exciting to discuss with you and your mother." Aerith resisted raising an eyebrow. Even if he had decided to return home, she could hardly think of that as exciting anymore. He walked towards Aerith and placed both hands on her shoulders. "Aerith, my little Aerith…"

Aerith's shoulders tensed a little. He was going to play the nostalgia card. She could not afford to fall for it.

"When I left, I thought about you and Elmyra every day. I felt bad for leaving the two of you, yet the media was rampant with my news-"

"Well, you started it," retorted Aerith, her eyes flashing.

Gast ignored her angry remark, but he removed his hands from her shoulders. "So I hid under the radar for a few years. Now that I'm more or less stable in my career again, I would like to provide for you and Elmyra properly, this time round." He bent down. "We can meet up and stuff. Just like the old days."

_Just like the old days…_

"W… What about the other woman?" Aerith asked quietly.

Gast paused. "Aerith, you know that I cannot abandon them too…"

"Them?" asked Aerith, her voice a bit higher.

Gast was hesitant. "Yes…" He said finally. "Them. We… had a child." He looked at Aerith. "I can't walk out on a young family."

"You had no problem with that when you walked out on us," pointed out Aerith.

"But you were such a big girl, Aerith. You were fifteen and much older now, don't be so stubborn," said Gast. Aerith's mouth opened, but could not find the words to argue. Gast paced about while he spoke, "I had my issues with you. I've changed and I don't want the same thing to happen again." He looked at Aerith. "I don't want to go back on my word to them now. They are fine with me coming to visit you and all."

"You don't get it," Aerith retorted. "You did not do the same for mom! Just…"

"Please, my little Aerith," said Gast softly. "You've always been such a sweet and obedient girl. Daddy misses that. Just give me time to show you that I can be a better person to you and Elmyra." He placed both palms together. "Can you give me that chance?"

Tears welled up in her eyes. Not because of the joy that her father was coming home. _He's not coming home, per se, _she thought. _He's just going to take responsibility and juggle between the two families that he created. _

"You'll love your stepsister! I promise!"

_He's still not the same… _Aerith fought hard to keep her tears within her. _He'll never be the same._

Then, she felt a warm hand on her shoulder. She looked up at Zack Fair, whose face was serious. He squeezed her shoulder and again, that knot in her heart loosened.

"Good evening, sir… I am Zack Fair," he said. He removed his hand from her shoulder and squared his shoulders. "I am a friend of Aerith Gainsborough. Is… Is it okay if I could say a few words?"

* * *

Gah! You'll need to see what Zack said… in the next chapter!

The song that Zack sang to Aerith was original too. Churning songs for stories is not as difficult as I had feared. Moreover, they were fun to sing to. I sing it when I work, imagining the drum beat and guitar chords as though they were legit songs.

My favourite sentence in the chapter was when Aerith said to Zack, "I'm not the one in love, Zack Fair."

Thank you very much for the reviews, follows and favourites! I'm very, extremely happy that you are enjoying my stories and I hope you will continue to stay entertained!


	9. Aerith: Never Forget

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

**Chapter 9 – Never Forget **

Aerith and Gast both stared at the man who just spoke up.

"I don't claim to say that this is exactly how she's feeling, but it's more like what I think she would, or should…" he added, glancing at her. "Think." Zack cleared his throat. "Ever since I knew Aerith…"

_Which was just two weeks ago, _Aerithadded in her mind.

"She had always been cheerful and friendly. There was one thing that was bothering her…"

She stared at Zack with wide open eyes. _If he is going to tell my father about my fear of relationships, I'll kill him!_

"Her father who walked out on her. It's not a matter of how old she was. To her, she would see herself as the little girl who adores her father. Walking out on her when she's fifteen is no different than walking out on a toddler." Zack shook his head. "It was selfish of you to impose your feelings and expect her to understand."

Aerith stared at Zack. Every word that he said, were almost what she wanted to say too. There had been no boy that she knew, that would go as far as to understand her and help her voice out her feelings.

Gast shook his head. "I appreciate your opinion, young man, but that's about all you're going to get from me."

"You don't get it, do you?" said Zack with a pitiful shake of his head. "After all that you've done to them, do you think that you can just waltz in on their lives again?"

"Zack, just… don't." mumbled Aerith. Why was he putting in so much effort for her? She had made herself clear that she was not interested in him. There was nothing that he could gain from confronting a man whom he was meeting for the first time.

"Exactly," echoed Gast. "It seems that my daughter disagrees."

She glared at her father. _Does he really think so? _She resisted the urge to roll her eyes.

Zack took a deep breath. "You know what? You may be so successful in your career…" He folded his arms and shook his head. "But you really suck at understanding people. No wonder your songs never have more meaning than that."

Gast narrowed his eyes. "What are you trying to say?" The man growled. Aerith tugged Zack's sleeve. Never insult her father on his career, because if anything, he took full pride in it.

Zack lifted his finger and pointed at Gast. "What I'm trying to say is… I'll surpass you, Gast!" He looked at Aerith and back at Gast. "At… At being a father!"

Aerith stared at Zack with wide open eyes… then she laughed. Both men looked at her in astonishment. "Oh you," she laughed so hard that she held onto Zack's shoulder for support. "Zack, I wonder what other nonsense can come out of your mouth."

Gast's lips pulled into a straight line. "Very entertaining, young man. Now, if you don't mind…" He took a step closer to Aerith. "I would like you to leave so that I can talk to my daughter."

"No," said Aerith firmly. "He is staying with me. He's my guest. If you want to come in, you'll need my mother's permission, because I have no intention of inviting you." She pulled Zack closer to her and opened the gate. "Goodnight."

Gast stared after them… and walked away. _Thank goodness. _She thought. She opened the door and beckoned Zack in. He pointed at himself with eyes as big as plates. "Are you going to help me or not?" She hissed.

Zack grinned. "For you, anything."

He stepped in and Aerith followed after. She closed the door and reached for the light. As the lights came on, she felt him draw close. Without a word, he embraced her tightly. "What are you doin-" began Aerith, struggling to get free.

"If you need to cry, do it."

Aerith stopped struggling. "What?"

She could not see his face, but she heard his voice, calm and full of sincerity. "I won't look," he promised.

"Idiot…" muttered Aerith. "As if seeing my father would make me…" Why was her voice breaking? Since when did she feel so weak and tired?

Zack's voice was still soft and gentle. "I'll be here until you stop crying."

"Idiot…" she said again. "Stop making these empty promises. You're a global idiot. What makes you think that I will…"

She felt her legs give away, the both of them fell onto the floor. _That makes it the third time, _mused Aerith, but Zack did not say anything. He held her tighter as she clung onto his shirt and buried her face in there, so that he would not see her face. There were times that he stroked her hair, sometimes he hummed and for a while, Aerith thought that he sounded really good with just humming.

Twenty minutes passed. It could have been more, but no one kept track. Finally, Aerith looked away from Zack's t-shirt. "I'll get you a new t-shirt," she mumbled.

"It's alright," laughed Zack gently. "I like it when you cling onto me like that."

"Stop being disgusting."

Aerith wiped the tears off his t-shirt. Zack wiped the tears off her face. Aerith's heart tightened when he did that, but not out of disgust. When was she used to his touch? "So…" began Zack. "I probably should go." Aerith nodded. It was best that he did. "Anyway, I came by because I forgot to give you this."

Zack took out a box and passed it to her. "… I shouldn't-" said Aerith.

"Take it," Zack insisted. She did with thanks. He stood and pulled her up as well. "Well then…" He scratched his head. "I hope you are alright. If Gast comes back to disturb you…" She looked at him. "… You can always call Cloud to come and help."

"What about…" Aerith could not bring herself to ask the question. She knew what Zack wanted, but she was unable to give it to him. She could not afford to be so demanding as to want his company yet not give him the affection he wanted. She shook her head. "I'll see you around, maybe."

He laughed dryly. "I doubt so. Once my work starts, I would not have much time to go out again." He looked at her and grinned. "It's time for me to disappear from your life."

Aerith rolled her eyes. "You don't have to be so melodramatic."

He laughed again, but did not answer to that comment. However, there was sadness in his eyes as he said, "Take care, Aerith."

* * *

"Gee, you look terrible."

Aerith looked up at Tifa.

_Don't be silly. I'm fine. I'm okay. You're thinking too much. Don't you have things to do instead of watching me lie in bed?_

These were things that she wanted to tell Tifa. Any sentence would do. However, she blurted, "I feel terrible." Aerith buried her head in her pillow. "Zack did not deserve it."

Tifa sat down on her bed. "Then why aren't you going after him?" She pushed her ponytail to the other side of her shoulder. "It has been a week. It's not like the time with Cloud and I. Zack is contactable. He's Cloud's roommate. Heck, we can even head over there right now."

"Have you been to his house?" mumbled Aerith in her pillow.

"Um… no," admitted Tifa. "But I have his address… Good Gaia." Tifa smacked her forehead in realization. "If he is lying to me about his address after dating him for a month, I'll strangle him."

Aerith chuckled inside, but she was too dead on the outside to actually laugh. "It's fine. I feel bad for hurting him like that. Maybe it's better for him."

"… Really?"

There was a brief silence. Instead of answering, Aerith said, "Do you know why I feel so weird about this entire thing? I feel unusually guilty for rejecting him, I don't understand why. Okay, I _do_. It's because he is kind of the first person who was honest to me. He was sincere and open about himself… except for his job."

"His job," repeated Tifa. "Cloud and Zack are real tight-lipped about their jobs. I mean, I know what Cloud's job is, I just-"

"Can't tell me," finished Aerith for her. "Believe me, I've tried asking Zack what Cloud's job was. He wouldn't tell me either. In fact, at least you know what Cloud's job is. I don't even know what Zack is doing."

Tifa was thoughtful. "Not at all?" She asked.

"Not at all," repeated Aerith. "It's not that he lied to me… none that I know of. I just don't know what the heck he does for a living. Apart from that, I…" She looked down. "I liked being his friend. Who knows… maybe I even entertained the idea of a relationship being more than friends." Tifa gripped Aerith's hand excitedly, but politely allowed Aerith to continue. "I think when I thought about that… I was scared. It scares me to know that after facing all sorts of guys with different intentions, there were still nice guys who did not deserve this. So when I found out that he was not going to tell me about his job… I decided to just use that as an excuse to end the relationship before any of us gets hurt further."

"… In a way… Aren't you doing to Zack what your father did to you?"

"What do you mean?" Aerith looked at Tifa with a frown.

"Your father ended your happy picture of love when he walked away…" Tifa pushed Aerith's fringe away. "Are you going to end Zack's happy picture by not giving him a chance?"

Aerith blinked. She had never thought of it that way.

"… Another thing that you need to think of is this… Are you really okay with your decision?"

"… I think so."

"Aerith… You taught me to anticipate love positively because it was not my fault that my mother died." Tifa opened Aerith's hands and placed her palm on top of it. "I'm going to tell you this again. No one is going to run away from you because you love them. Your mother never ran away, neither did I." She smiled. "There will be more people that will choose to stay with you, as long as you give them a chance." She turned behind. "Right, Aunt Elmyra?"

Aerith looked up and saw her mother standing by the arched door. "Mom…" She wiped her face. "How long have you been listening in?" Her mother shrugged. "I…"

Elmyra folded her arms. "Aerith… what did I say?" Aerith wanted to cry when she heard how sad her mother sounded. "Never forget."

"You said that you will never forget," said Aerith. "I won't forget what Dad did to us, too."

"Oh, my daughter," said Elmyra. "You've misunderstood me, all these years. How you have suffered in your silence!" She crossed the room and looked at Aerith closely. "Do you remember what I said? I never forgot how Gast loved me. It's true," added Elmyra quickly when Aerith widened her eyes.

"Dad left you for someone else," said Aerith.

"But before that happened, he loved me exclusively." Elmyra smiled. "As disappointed as I am now, I cannot deny that what we had was special." She grinned. "Even though I've already told him a few days ago that he can forget about coming back to the house."

Aerith stared at her mother in surprise. "You've talked to him?"

"Yes. And I told him that while I cherished the time we had, he should go back to his new family. His intention to take responsibility was good enough." She smiled. "I am happy with my life without him, and I won't need him. Unless you need your father…"

Aerith hugged her mother tightly. "You are so strong, my mother." She laughed. "I won't. I have you with me!"

"Don't forget me too!" chimed in Tifa with a grin.

"Of course… But come to think of it, I don't remember being that nosy with your relationship." Aerith glanced at Tifa.

"Trust me." Tifa patted Aerith's shoulder and smiled cheekily. "You were almost as nosy."

* * *

"May I sit here?"

"Oh, hi Dennis!" smiled Aerith. She scooted a seat for her friend to sit. "Sure, sure…"

As he sat, he looked at Aerith. "Are you alright?"

"Um… yeah." Aerith smiled. "Just some things happened… but I'll be fine."

"There you go again." Dennis smiled back. "I've said it, right? You don't have to keep it to yourself, do you?"

Aerith looked at Dennis. She had forgotten, in her preoccupation with Zack Fair, that Dennis confessed his feelings to her. "I um…" She looked away. "The truth is… my dad came back a week ago… He… He wants to get back into the family."

"Oh?" Dennis bit into his apple. "Isn't that great? But what about the other woman?"

Aerith looked at him. "They have a family together. My father wants to support both families…"

He nodded. "I see… Isn't that good? I'm happy for you."

She looked at him. "But… why?"

"Why not?"

"I cannot imagine him… with someone else. He had a child with her. What if he wants me to hang out and take care of his children?" Aerith sighed. "I don't know if I'm ready for that."

Dennis cocked his head. "But you are kinda selfish for wanting that. I mean, your dad has another woman for the last few years. You just gotta accept it because there's nothing you can do. At least now he's giving your family a chance to reconcile with him."

Aerith frowned at him. "Do you really think that way?" She asked, but it was more of a rhetorical question.

Dennis nodded. "Think for your mother, won't you?"

She opened her mouth, but decided not to argue with him. "I'll talk to my mother," she concluded. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." He smiled genuinely. "See? It's good when you have someone to share your problems with."

_Yes, _thought Aerith. _But it won't be you. _Dennis, in all his qualities that Aerith admired him for, could not be that support and help that she needed. _He did not even ask what I think of the entire situation. He just jumped in with his prescribed advice… and what's with that 'giving us a chance to reconcile with him'? Zack won't do that. He would be all the support and confidence I need-_

Aerith clamped a hand over her mouth. Finally, the knot in her heart loosened. _Zack… _She thought. _There can be no one else. _

She looked at Dennis. "You know…" She began. "The other day, you told me about your feelings…" Dennis put the apple down and nodded at her with a smile. "I think I need to be honest with you…" She shook her head. "I can't. I really don't see you that way. I'm flattered but… sorry." She bowed her head.

"Oh…" He smiled. "Well um… I kind of expected that. Well…" He picked up his apple again. "I've always had a crush on you. I just needed to get it out of my system, so it's alright if you rejected me. I'm grateful, even." Aerith looked at him in surprise. "With your rejection, I should just give up and move on."

She nodded. "You really should. I'm not worth waiting for." She stood from the table. "You know? I really…"

Dennis waved her off. "I know, you run along with your work, then."

Aerith picked up her tray. "Hey, Dennis?"

"Yeah?"

She smiled at him. "Thanks for being a friend, all these years."

He shrugged and grinned. "I had an agenda back then, you know."

She shrugged. "Doesn't matter anymore." She grinned cheekily. "I still look forward to making fun of you."

He reached out his fist for a small fist bump. "And I look forward to being as annoying as I can to you."

Minutes later, Aerith walked towards the student council room, with her heart thumping madly. She knew what she needed to do, and she had a plan.

* * *

(A month later…)

Aerith checked her dress one more time and smiled at Reno who just walked in. "Ready?" He asked.

"Yeah," replied Aerith with a wide smile. "I will be."

"Guess you're nervous. Been a while since you last sang for a crowd, I heard." Reno leaned against the table. If Reno does not open his mouth, Aerith could totally imagine him being KAI, with the red hair and lively attitude. "I'm glad that you changed your mind. I had such a hard time convincing you to sing for our Christmas carnival."

"Thank Gaia you removed the corny Tunnel of Love, though," replied Aerith with a cheeky grin.

Reno pondered over Aerith's words. "In hindsight, I'm pretty glad that we removed it. So seriously…" Reno leaned forward, closer to Aerith. "What happened that made you want to sing in the end?"

Aerith shrugged. "Just stuff."

Reno patted Aerith's arm. Surprisingly, she did not flinch at the touch. "All the best," he said, pulling the curtains wide as the host announced the next item on stage.

Aerith walked gingerly onto the stage. Bright lights were shining at her, but she could make out the banner on top of the stage that read "Christmas Concert". She stared out at the crowd. The crowd was small, less than a hundred, but she tried not to identify individual faces. Her father had taught her not to look at the faces below, but to think of the faces in her heart. In times like this, Aerith was glad that she had her father with her when she was young.

_To think that there would be a time where I could think about Dad without feeling disgusted. _She smiled to herself.

The crowd was waiting, so she tapped the microphone and spoke, "Hello everyone. I am Aerith, nice to meet you." Aerith heard a few "Hi"s back and even some cat calls. She smiled nervously. "Actually, I'm pretty nervous right now… You see, I have not sung in front of such an audience in such a long time." She patted her guitar. "Neither have I sung love songs in a while. But I met somebody…" Whistling ensued. "Yes, thank you very much."

The crowd laughed. _Not bad, _Aerith thought. _Keep going._

"However, it was a flop… Well, _I_ made it a flop. He encouraged me to give my life and love a second chance. So… I should." Aerith smiled widely. "This song is for him, if he's even here… regardless, I hope you enjoy it on his behalf."

Aerith strummed the guitar, trying not to miss the frets on her instrument. In the crowd, she spotted her mother, Tifa and Cloud, beaming. She grinned. Despite the absence of someone else, seeing them gave her the boost of courage she needed. "When I was younger I saw, my daddy cry and curse at the wind…"

It was a song, an original song. Zack wrote a song specially for her, she could not imagine doing any less for him. Not when her heart was full of what she wanted to say.

"… That was the day that I promised, I'll never sing of love, if it does not exist. But darling, you are… the only exception…"

The crowd was quiet, but from the dreamy looks in their eyes, Aerith knew that the song was reaching their hearts too. She smiled to herself. She had forgotten how it felt when her song touched others. Now, the memories of Aerith singing to her family and friends are coming back, strand by strand. For years, she had hidden behind her mask of apathy, clinging onto the lyrics and emotions of KAI. How could she have forgotten them all? How could she forget that she _enjoyed_ singing for others?

"I've got a tight grip on reality but I can't let go of what's in front of me here…" She closed her eyes, imagining him standing in the crowd. She wanted to tell this to him, to let him understand. She must tell him. "… But leave me with some kind of proof it's not a dream…"

She took a deep breath and looked at the crowd again. Nope, she was unable to find him so quickly. She hoped hard that he was here listening to her… "You are the only exception…"

_Zack, where are you? Are you here tonight? I hope you are hearing me._

* * *

The minute she walked off the stage, Aerith ran towards Tifa and Cloud. Her face was glowing with satisfaction and anticipation. "So?" She asked.

Tifa hugged her tightly. "You were great! The crowd loved you!"

That was not the answer that Aerith was looking for. "What about Zack? Did he come by?" She looked at Cloud, whom she had requested to bring Zack to her performance.

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances. The awkward silence made Aerith nervous. "He did," answered Cloud. "He… stood with us and watched your entire performance with a smile on his face."

A smile reflected onto Aerith's face too. "Well… so…" She adjusted her hair and looked at the couple. "Is he still around? Did he say anything?"

"I'm sorry…" said Tifa. "I tried to stop him, but he simply just walked off saying that he had to go back to work." Tifa looked at Aerith closely. "I'm sorry, Aerith… Let's just… enjoy the rest of the night ourselves, alright? Shall we get an ice cream… or something?" She offered.

Aerith shook her head and laughed dryly. "It's okay…" She mumbled. "I… I should go and… rest."

"We'll send you back," said Cloud firmly. She declined, but Cloud was insistent. Aerith agreed in the end, and she was glad that she did. Without Cloud and Tifa sitting quietly beside her, talking in low voices, Aerith would not have remembered how she got home.

Aerith's room welcomed her like a sanctuary, but she could not relax. She showered and flopped onto her bed. "KAI…" She murmured, reaching out for his album. She allowed the songs to play, while hot tears flowed down her face. She lay on the bed. _Did I really mess up and lose all hope of seeing Zack, ever?_

Even KAI's songs brought no answer, nor comfort, to her.

* * *

Another chapter!

Initially, Zack's gift to Aerith was a necklace with a Ferris Wheel pendant. However, I've made the change, so you'll know what his present is in the next chapter. Both gifts are meaningful so I stuck with the newer version.

Song that Aerith sang was "The Only Exception" by Paramore, if you haven't figured that one out yet. This entire series is inspired by that song, but more so for Aerith's story.

Thank you for reading!


	10. Aerith: KAI

**The Only Exception**

**Story 2 – Aerith **

Hurray! Last chapter for the Aerith story!

**Chapter 10 - KAI**

If anything, Aerith tried.

She had tried to push him away from the very first moment. Failed.

She tried to keep a distance from him by being aloof and unconcerned. Failed.

She tried to tell him off once and for all that she did not want to have anything to do with him. That was a massive success, but in which was the massive failure.

She tried to get him back after discovering her feelings for him… … Failed.

In her room, she tossed and turned in her bed. Her mother and Tifa had given her enough space and did not probe, but she suspected that it would not be for long. Aerith reached for a box on her table. It was the giftbox that Zack gave her the night when he spoke up for her in front of her father. Inside, an oversized pink ribbon lay in a cushion of satin.

Aerith laughed when she first saw it in the box. She had spotted it in the shops while they were eating street food, but she was quite sure that her desire for the ribbon was not that obvious. How Zack knew that she had been eyeing that accessory for a long time was a mystery. She has not worn it yet, but she liked looking at it in the box. She fingered the velvety texture and ignored the dull ache in her heart.

Someday, she would wear the ribbon on her hair. When she is ready to move on from Zack Fair.

Aerith also listened to KAI's songs. Therapeutic as they were, listening to her favourite song, "Life Is An Adventure", brought her much joy and much regret. She took another glance at her cell phone. Nothing. Zack did not even send a message to her after her performance. It would be weird to take the initiative…

She laughed dryly. _How ironic that now I'm doing the chasing. _She thought. _Pathetic. _She jammed the "Stop" button, cutting off KAI's voice, and switched to the radio.

"Yes, all you lucky listeners out there," boomed the radio DJ. "I have with me, the latest single from KAI!" Aerith sat straighter and inched closer towards the stereo with a smile. "After being away for around two months, I can say that KAI must have had some adventure again. This single will be included in his new album, coming June next year, but this is the first single of the main lot. Well, I've listened to it just now and if you ask my honest opinion? I think it's not his best…"

Aerith wrinkled her nose. She wished the DJ would stop talking and just play the song already.

"… this song is quite emotional. I could not put words to it, so I'll let you decide if this song is based on his own experience. It's called 'Love Letter'."

With a single strum of a chord, the lyrics came. "Look at you, all scared of the world."

"I'm not," mumbled Aerith… and she sat up so quickly that her head spun. "What the-" She stared at the radio, still playing the newest song from KAI.

"Building walls around your broken heart.  
Pretending that you don't care is not the way.  
Don't make me sad with those words that you say.  
Darling, will you listen to me today?"

Aerith cursed under her breath. _That's… That's Zack's song. _She would know. He wrote it just for her. _How-_

Then it hit her. How could she be so dumb? "You are an idiot, Zack Fair." She sighed. "If not for your lyrics, I'll never know." She smiled to herself as the song continued.

"Being with you is such a wonderful thing.  
Who knew that duets can be made for me?  
You are one of a kind that everyone loves,  
but not the way that I do. Baby, please believe.  
But you say you're scared to love.  
Take that plunge and fall in love with me!"

Aerith found herself humming the melody as the chorus began:

"Take a look around, see the world out there.  
There are so many things to give a second chance.  
Darling, don't be shy, it is worth a try.  
Look at me and say 'I will'."

_How… _She still could not understand. She stood and quickly changed out of her pajamas. She had to find Zack, immediately. She was just pulling her t-shirt over her head when there was a knock on the door.

"Aerith?" Tifa poked her head in. She widened her eyes. "You are up and all changed!" She said with a wide smile. "I was worried that I had to…"

"What is it?" asked Aerith with a frown.

Tifa pursed her lips. "Zack Fair is here."

Aerith's heart skipped a beat. "Zack is here?"

Behind Tifa, Zack walked into the room. "Hello Aerith." He smiled.

"I'm… going to leave you two to sort out your issues," mumbled Tifa, stepping out of the room but not completely closing the door.

"Hey…" muttered Aerith, not looking at him directly.

Zack peered at her closely and Aerith shifted away, not out of disgust. "You've been crying," he said sadly.

"I'm fine…"

"I suppose you have questions."

"I do!" Aerith looked at Zack with much irritation. "Why did you leave after hearing my performance? Are you such a sickeningly melodramatic person that you had to leave like that?"

Zack blinked at her outburst. He could not resist a smile. "Yes," he admitted. "Apparently, I am. Would you listen to my story?"

Aerith nodded slowly and sat on her bed. Zack chose to sit on a chair near her table. With a side smile at his thoughtful actions, Aerith said, "Start from the beginning."

He grinned. "Well, once upon a time, there was a boy who came to Midgar. He intended to find a stable job and settle down, but instead, he was scouted to be a singer." He clasped his hands. "The company searched for a marketing gimmick for him and so he sang under a pseudonym and a pseudo-face," he chuckled. "The masses would love it, they say."

"And they did," added Aerith.

"Right," affirmed Zack. "The boy liked singing behind a mask called KAI, but it wasn't all bed and roses for the boy… but that's a story for another time," he commented with a bright smile. "It wasn't long before the company had other plans," Zack continued, standing from his chair and pacing around. "They wanted to reveal the boy's face to public and have him sing as who he was. The boy refused – he was content with the way things were – but he was given two weeks to reconsider. Upset, disappointed and also worried that he had no income for the next two weeks, he found a part-time job at a Halloween carnival." He stopped and smiled at Aerith. "That's when he met a girl named Aerith. You know," he grinned. "It was the not first time that he had seen Aerith."

"Really?" asked Aerith, folding her arms and trying hard to recall.

"Yup," Zack chuckled. "The boy first saw Aerith in a hospital." His smile grew when Aerith widened her eyes. "His manager, Cloud Strife, was sent to the hospital and well… I think you can make the link."

"Cloud was KAI's manager!" exclaimed Aerith. "That explained the lie… and the mystery after the lie." She covered her face and groaned. "Finally!" She did not need to guess anymore.

Zack laughed. "To be honest, he was attracted to Aerith's looks in the hospital." Aerith made a face. "But when they met in the carnival, he thought that Aerith would not the kind of girl that he would be attracted to after all. She was stiff-necked and unapproachable." He grinned.

There was nothing Aerith could say to that. It was exactly as he said.

"However, Aerith surprised him. She showed kindness and sensitivity to his issues and emotions… despite being unapproachable, she can be really sweet and thoughtful." He smiled at Aerith warmly. "That was when I think, I really fell for you." Aerith looked away at his change of words. He spread his hands. "The rest is history… except for pockets of questions here and there." He walked over and sat by her bed.

Aerith looked at the floor, not daring to look at his face. "Why didn't you tell me? Is it because you think that I would be someone who approaches you for your status?"

"Sorry, Aerith…"

"No, it's perfectly fine." Aerith shook her head. "You had your problems, while you were trying to help me with mine." She looked at Zack shyly. "I just… want to thank you for being so persistent in changing my mind. If it weren't for you… and Tifa and my mother," she quickly added. "I will still be bitter about my life now."

Zack was smiling too. "I loved your performance and the song. You really are a superb singer." Aerith smiled. "So… inviting me to watch you perform an original song, eh?" He leaned closer towards Aerith. "Is that a sign that you want me to be your only exception?" His anticipating smile was very charming.

She pulled back. "I wish you won't say it as bluntly," she muttered with a blush. He chuckled. "I wish I have a stronger answer for you too," she said softly. Looking at him, she shook her head. "I have feelings for you, but I still have lots of other feelings to clear…" She looked down and slowly reached for his hand. Her fingers walked across the back of his hand and slipped into his gently. "But… if you are willing… still willing… I will steer my feelings in your direction…" She looked at him with an embarrassed smile. "… And face in your direction with all my might."

Zack squeezed her hand. "I understand. I have my own problems to settle. My boss will have a headache with this because I'm not supposed to reveal my identity to anyone…" He grinned at her. "But that's their problem. I'll wait for you to be ready."

"We will wait for each other to be ready," corrected Aerith with a laugh.

Zack nodded. "Deal. But until we are ready…" He lifted her hand and pressed his lips to her hand. "I want to stay by your side, helping and supporting you… Will you allow me to?"

She had never thought that hearing that question would make her smile so much. "… I'll be most happy to," she answered. "Who would've thought that the person I fell for is my favourite singer." She grinned. "Do you know how excited I am that I finally get to meet you?"

"Always nice to meet a fan." Zack grinned.

"So… Did they do something to your voice during post-production?" She peered at Zack with a raised eyebrow. "You did not sound like that when you sang to me!"

He laughed. "Ah, about that. You're right, the production team always changes my voice a little after recording. However, I was also lying about my voice when I sang to you."

Aerith blinked. "So all this while… I have not heard your real singing voice."

"Exactly. Sorry about that…" He smiled at her. "Would you want me to show you how I normally sing?"

Aerith nodded. So he did. It was clear that Zack had hid his singing voice well. Aerith widened her eyes when she heard him. Whatever he said about the post-recording was only a little tweaking of his voice. Hearing Zack sing live was just like hearing KAI on the album. _What are you talking about? _She shook her head to herself. _He IS KAI! _

"To say that I'm not interested would just be a lie.  
You've won my heart from the day I first said, 'Hi'.  
You're afraid to love but yet you want to, please let me in."

Aerith mouthed the words with him. "Love is not to give up but to give in." She grinned as he ended. "It's on the radio now."

"Indeed." He smiled.

The door opened slightly and Tifa looked in, with her eyes wide open. "That was-!" Her jaw dropped.

"Hello, Tifa," Zack chuckled. "I feel a little shy now that so many of you know of my identity."

Aerith was equally embarrassed. "Tifa! Since when have you been listening in?"

Tifa raised her hands. "I could not hear anything, and I wasn't listening. However, I heard Zack singing loud enough… and I had to ask." She stared at Zack. "You are KAI, aren't you? And Cloud is your manager."

"Yeah, that's right," answered Zack. "I'm pretty glad that Cloud was professional enough to keep his job a secret from you…" He glanced at Aerith. "I'm not as professional, I guess."

Aerith shrugged. "You made that choice."

Tifa grinned. "Alrighty, I'm going to go away and leave you alone." She winked at Aerith… and Aerith smiled back. The knot in her heart slowly loosened, bit by bit. It would still take time for her to fully accept affection from a man, but Aerith had a small feeling deep inside, that no longer would she feel that knot from here now.

When Tifa left, Zack said, "It is only up to us to see if my choice to reveal to you the identity I tried so hard to hide, a wise one." He smiled. "I say we work on that right now." He straightened his collar. "How would you like to go on a date with a handsome, rich and famous guy like me?" He asked with a cocky grin.

Aerith shook her head to herself, but she was grinning from ear to ear. "I guess I have no choice."

"Well, you surely are more dressed up today," said Zack, nodding at the simple blouse and white skirt that she was wearing. "All ready for our date, even before I suggested it."

She groaned. "It's not a date!" Aerith rolled her eyes, but when Zack offered her his hand, she did not pull away.

* * *

_And my momma swore that she would never let herself forget_

_That was the day that I promised, I'd never sing of love, if it does not exist._

_But darling, you are the only exception._

* * *

I thought it would be good to put the lyrics again at the end to remind you how the whole story came about.

Well now, what should story number 3 be? If you realise, Tifa's and Aerith's stories are linked together. Aerith's story is also linked to the third story. More like, there has been a hint about what the third story will be about. You may need to check all the chapters to find the little clue. If not, I'm afraid you'll need to wait another 2 weeks before you find out!


	11. Vincent: Office Gossip

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent**

Thank you for the long, long wait! I was not sure if I should publish this because I'm really not sure where the story would take me, but I thought that I've waited long enough. So here it is, a really short chapter. I'm embarrassed to even show it to you after weeks of absence.

I intended to let you enjoy the chapter before any explanation, but I think some readers may not be able to enjoy it fully. This chapter was a personal challenge. I wanted to write a story, at least a whole part of it, with pure dialogue and no actions. So in case you are confused, it's just two office workers talking. You will need to be constantly aware who is who.

Have fun!

**Chapter 11 – Office Gossip**

_Maybe I know somewhere, deep in my soul, the love never lasts._

_And we've got to find other ways. To make it alone, or keep a straight face._

_And I've always lived like this, keeping a comfortable distance._

_Up until now I have sworn to myself that I'm content with loneliness._

_Because none of this was ever worth the risk._

* * *

"Hey, Josie!"

"Hi Helena!"

"May I sit here?"

"Sure!"

"It's been two weeks since you joined the company. How is it so far?"

"Oh Helena, it's amazing. I am so glad that I have chosen V Hotels as my first job. Everyone here is really nice and helpful."

"I'm glad you really like it here."

"Plus…"

"Plus?"

"Our CEO…"

"Hahaha! So you are another admirer!"

"I'm not! I just… I just thought Mr Vincent Valentine looks very cool."

"He is. One of the youngest CEOs in the tourism industry, yet so capable. I heard that when he took over as CEO role, V Hotels went out of the red within two years! And he was only twenty-three!"

"Wow! He must've put in a lot of effort in his job, then."

"Yeah, I was a rookie when he first entered the company about five years ago. He was really handsome. No one ever thought that he would make our hotel succeed."

"At such a young age too… Oh, Helena, I'll be right back… Gotta talk to someone for a moment."

* * *

"Thank you for waiting, Helena."

"It's not a problem, Josie. Although…"

"What is it?"

"Was that Elena that you were talking to?"

"Yup, she has been very helpful in answering my questions since I entered the company."

"Josie, Josie… You should not talk to Elena more than what is necessary. Don't you know that she's notorious in our company?"

"Why? What happened?"

"The company found out that… _that she was hankering after Gareth._"

"Really? But isn't he… married?"

"With three children."

"An affair?"

"Shhh! _Not so loud!_"

"That's horrible… so what happened?"

"Well, Gareth's wife found out, and created such a ruckus that the company dispatched Gareth to another department. If you think that that's the end of it, I've recently heard that Elena's going after Mr. Tseng now."

"As in, the right hand man of Mr. Valentine, Mr. Tseng? Don't tell me… he's also…"

"Weelll… I'm not very sure about that. There have been rumours circulating that he is married, but nothing is confirmed. So Josie, you should stay away from Elena."

"Okay… I will… I didn't know that she is like that… She is such a nice person…"

"Enough about her. Let's talk about Mr. Vincent Valentine. So you like him, eh?"

"I don't! I just think that he is really cool…"

"You're not the first, you won't be the last. Many of the female staff are here, or rather, still here, because of him."

"I can see why. He is really handsome, rich and famous. Even though he does not speak much, he is polite to the staff. His girlfriend must be a really lucky person…"

"Well… about that."

"Ooh, another piece of gossip?"

"Oh Josie! Don't call it gossip! You make me sound like a very unfriendly person. It's called… sharing of information."

"Haha, if you say so. So what about his girlfriend?"

"Actually, it's more like… a wife."

"Oh! He is married?

"Was."

"Was?"

"Yeah. She died a few years ago and since then, Mr. Valentine spent all his energy on his career and on V Hotels."

"What a tragedy!"

"The wife was so young and so beautiful!"

"Who's to know who will be the next one? I mean, Mr. Valentine is only twenty-eight years ago. He has a long life ahead of him."

"I won't hold my breath if I were you. At the rate that he is working… I don't think he even has the time to sleep, much less socialise."

* * *

The sound of footsteps silenced the two ladies immediately. Josie turned to the sound of the footsteps and stared at the two men walking past her. Both men were handsome and tall. One of them wore his long straight hair down and had a tilak on his forehead, a very rare sight in Midgar. The man carried a serene expression, as usual. The other man was taller. He had short hair, but his dark red eyes were striking and contemplative as the man next to him was talking.

Vincent Valentine and his right-hand man, Tseng.

Josie dipped her head towardsthem, of which both men returned the same gesture. She smiled and watched them walk away. Across the marble floor, their shoes made quick but neat taps on the floor of the cafeteria. Beside her, she could hear her fellow colleague Helena talk on and on, but she was not really listening.

_There was no happiness in Mr Valentine's smile. _She wondered. Had the CEO of their company always looked like that? Josie ached to know the painful past behind her boss, even though she knew that she would never be able to approach him in any way. Still, that question lingered and hovered over the thought of Vincent's tight and reserved smile.

_What is the point of having so much success if you looked so sad?_

* * *

Thank you for reading.


	12. Vincent: Flight

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent **

I'm sorry that you waited for this long to get this chapter. Mental blocks and distractions are never a good thing. This chapter happens immediately after Chapter 11.

**Chapter 12 – Flight **

Being the CEO of V Hotels is not easy. Especially to enter the company as CEO at the age of twenty-three and bringing the hotel out of debt in two years.

For Vincent Valentine, it was not a matter of whether it was difficult or not. He had always known that he would take over V Hotels someday. He was the only child in the Valentine family, with not many cousins and relatives mature or suitable enough to manage the hotel. From the moment he understood that truth, he worked towards it. In middle school through university, he rarely did things that were not related to his future career. For his single-minded determination, it was not difficult to see why Vincent was immediately chosen to take over the company just a year after joining it.

Bringing the hotel out of the red in two years thereafter was a simple but arduous task. Despite the many challenges, his determination and resourcefulness resulted in the hotel becoming more prosperous. Under the strong recommendation of the executive board, Vincent became the CEO of V Hotels when he turned twenty-five.

For the success that he was enjoying, he faced an equal amount of disappointment and frustration. Everyone whom he worked with are older than him. Many people, even employees, thought that they were more experienced and did not immediately give the respect that the CEO would need. Vincent also learnt very quickly to politely reject enthusiastic offers to mentor and advise him.

Even now, the committee that once supported him had been slowly replaced by a pool of power-hungry executives, ready to show Vincent what the tourism business meant – and that Vincent had no part in it. Vincent kept the frustrated sigh to himself. The only person whom he trusted and talked to often was-

"Mr. Vincent, sir?"

He blinked at the man next to him. "Yes, Tseng?"

"Did you hear what I said?"

Vincent gave a small smile. "Actually, I was looking around the hotel and ensuring that things are running smoothly."

"We have staff to do the quality checking."

"However, I like to do a little bit of it myself." Vincent looked at Tseng. "You said that I still have a meeting at three with the marketing department, am I wrong?"

"You are right, sir." Tseng consulted his tablet one more time. "Also, your passport has been renewed and collected. It is in your office already."

"Good." Vincent nodded. "Wutai will be a very long trip."

"You look tired. Should I go to Wutai in your stead, sir?"

"No. I will go on my own. You will assist the executive committee when I am away."

"Yes." Tseng's word offered no clue as to how he felt about the new executive committee, but Vincent knew better.

"And you should take the extra time to spend with your loved ones."

At that, Tseng gave the smallest of smiles. Vincent had heard of the rumour circulating Tseng about his marital status. He knew what of Tseng's martial status, but respected the fact that Tseng had no desire to disclose it. Tseng was a very private person, never revealing his social nor personal life to anyone unnecessarily. If the 'need' arises during a casual conversation, Tseng would choose to keep quiet. Vincent would have liked that too, just that his life, both professional and personal, were currently plastered all over the magazines.

"Um… excuse me?"

Vincent and Tseng turned around to see a bevy of giggling young women. "Yes?" asked Tseng impassively.

"Um…" One of them, a girl in two pigtails and wearing khaki overalls, stuttered. "Mr Vincent Valentine, I was wondering if we could take a picture with you."

Tseng looked at Vincent for his reply. Vincent shrugged. "Sure."

The girls squealed their thanks. Tseng stretched his hands out to offer help for the phototaking, but another girl waved him away. "We'll rather do a selfie, thank you!" She giggled at Tseng, who responded with a frown.

To be honest, Vincent was not comfortable with three girls squeezing close to him and all of them staring at the phone that was merely thirty centimetres away. However, in all his professionalism, he gave a smile and accepted the gushing girls' thanks.

As the girls flitted away, Tseng shook his head at Vincent. "You could have rejected them."

Vincent shrugged. "They aren't the first to ask, anyway." Since his exposure on the business magazine, almost everyone in Midgar knows of him. Some called him the "young genius of tourism", some called him the "handsome hotel guy". Vincent did not bother to keep track.

"I don't think I'll ever understand that." Tseng shook his head.

Vincent gave his colleague a smile. "That's why you're still keeping your private life a secret from everyone in the office."

"It is a called 'personal life' for a reason."

"If only I could keep my life private like before."

Tseng looked at Vincent, knowing exactly what he meant. "Let's go for lunch before the meeting," he mumbled, ending that sensitive topic before it could even begin.

* * *

Vincent lived in a luxurious apartment, but it was nothing more than a place to sleep in. the grand lobby and lush elevators welcomed him in vain. Vincent travelled up the elevator deep in thoughts of the meeting earlier on. He fumbled for his keys briefly in his pocket and unlocked the door.

The house was empty. Vincent was not expecting anyone else. A cold draft rushed out at him, smelling of roses. He hated it. He switched on the lights and unhooked the bag of potpourri hanging by the door. No matter how many times he reminded her, the housekeeper will always put a bag of rose potpourri by the door. It was as though she was convincing him to remember the past.

_I have no intention of remembering the past._

He left his clothes in a heap by the bathroom and stepped in. He imagined someone in the living room saying, "Don't leave your clothes lying around!" But there was no one. There would not be anyone.

After a quick shower and a packet of peanuts, Vincent pulled out his small luggage from the storage area. He could not delay any further if he were to fly tomorrow morning. He opened walnut wooden doors and stared at his wardrobe. He pulled out a couple of shirts and working pants and placed them neatly in his small luggage.

"Where are my extra grey socks?" He muttered to himself. He searched his wardrobe in vain. Looking at the other wardrobe made of the same walnut wood, he hesitated. Then, he opened the doors and looked in. He found the grey socks, but they were quickly tossed aside. Vincent looked into the wardrobe of blouses, shirts, pants and dresses. Female accessories adorned the hooks on the wardrobe doors.

His fingers reached out to touch the soft material of a dress. Then quickly, Vincent slammed the cupboard door before his emotions got the better of him. Turning around, he tossed the grey socks and all the other socks into the luggage. A couple more knick-knacks in and Vincent zipped up the luggage. There. Packing for a week-long trip was done in twenty minutes. He could never understand how women can take up to three hours to pack for their trips.

He pushed the luggage away and lay on his bed. _It was still early,_ he decided after tossing and turning in bed. He walked into the kitchen and reached for the whisky bottle. A few years ago, Tseng would have banned the presence of even one alcoholic drink in the house. Tseng had not been in the house for some time to check for any emotional drinking incidents. He does not need to anymore – Vincent has been appearing for work on time in the last one and a half years.

The kitchen was pristine. It had been so for some time, for Vincent Valentine was no cook. He had already removed the gas tank from his stove. His refrigerator only contained packed food from his housekeeper whenever she was cooking. The kitchen was now merely a place to keep pre-prepared food.

Although he could very well drink more, Vincent thought that one whisky shot was enough for the night. He poured himself a generous amount of whisky – whoever said that a shot had to be drunk in a small glass? – and enjoyed the drink, looking out of the magnificent skyline of Midgar at twilight. Midgar was a city that never sleeps. Even in the darkest parts of the night, the city shone and twinkled like a festival.

_A beautiful home, but with no one to share with anymore._

Vincent left the glass in the kitchen sink. His housekeeper will handle that tomorrow. He fell back onto his bed and reminded himself that when he comes back from Wutai, he would tell his housekeeper to stop putting rose potpourri in his house, or he would fire her.

_There is no point in the house smelling like someone whom I can never meet again._

* * *

At the airport, none of his family members sent him off. His own father was too old and immobile to come to the airport. His mother had to take care of his father. Vincent had no close relatives. After a massive power struggle during the period when the board was considering Vincent as the CEO, things were awkward in the extended family.

"Well then, Vincent," said Tseng, passing Vincent a folder of documents. When they were out of the hotel and away from office people, Vincent and Tseng hardly bothered with formalities. "Be careful on your way there." Vincent looked at the folder with a small frown on his face, so Tseng added, "The documents have been backed up in your laptop and I've sent you the email attachment too."

Vincent took it with thanks. "You should go and enjoy your personal life after I'm gone.

There was a brief smile on the stoic man's face. "I will."

On the aeroplane away from the dawning sun, Vincent leafed through the documents in the folder. He mumbled details and reread his documents to confirm all that he knew about Wutai.

Wutai was a strange country, by modern world standards. The entire country was big enough to be considered a continent, yet only one village inhabited the land. The land had been under-developed due to the village's resistance to industrialization and commercialization. Not many people visited Wutai enough to describe the country. Five years ago, the country decided to open up their country for foreign investments. Still, development was slow.

Since last year, Vincent had been contacting Godo, the chief of the country, to negotiate for plans to build a vacation resort in Wutai. If Wutai was to develop and open up to the foreign lands, tourism would be a niche market. Vincent was determined to make V Hotels the pioneer of tourism in Wutai. Godo had been resistant, but two months ago, he finally said that he would consider meeting Vincent. Vincent knew the strategy. The Wutaians would most likely persuade him to stay for a few days. They would hope that Vincent would love to grow Wutai and thus not want to destroy the few pieces of nature in the Planet.

_Not going to happen. _Vincent thought. _I'll be there to propose my idea and will return the following morning. If they insist on me staying in Wutai, I'll stay for two nights. _He gave his shoulders a good stretch. _Besides, Tseng said that I need a short break._

Traveling to Wutai was not impossible, but it was difficult. First, Vincent had to take a five-hour flight to Rocket Town. It was geographically closest to Wutai. From Wutai, Vincent would get on a fishing boat and it would be another four hours at sea (six if the fishermen decided to stop for a catch) before Vincent could step onto Wutai lands.

Vincent had his reservations. Most of the world were accessible by aeroplane, except for Wutai. He hoped that someday Wutai would consider building an airport as well. That would greatly increase revenue.

"You wanna go to Wutai, eh, sonny?" asked a toothless fisherman when Vincent approached him. "Ain't nobody goes to Wutai for fun. There ain't anything there." He pulled his empty net out of the fishing boat.

_Precisely, _thought Vincent. "I am there for a visit."

"Nope, it's a'most lunchtime." The man shook his head.

Vincent checked his watch. "We'll go after lunch then."

"Ya know the rules of ferryin' to Wutai?" He staggered away from the boat in a manner that Vincent wondered if the fisherman was drinking at sea. "We ain't charity, ya know? If we see a good opportunity to get fish, we'll delay the trip to get'em."

"I know."

Lunch was a simple affair. Vincent had a bowl of fish porridge and he had it peacefully. _The further I am away from Midgar, the less people knew about me. _He thought. It was a good thing; Vincent enjoyed being alone. In Rocket Town, barely anyone recognized him, save some hotel manager who happened to see him walking along the jetty. However, the manager only stopped to talk to him for a while. No extreme enthusiasm, no photos or selfies either.

He found the same fisherman at the jetty. The man gave Vincent a toothless grin. "You're back," he said. "I was wondering where you have gone to."

"Should I pay for my fare first?"

The fisherman waved it off. "You can pay me when you reach Wutai."

Luckily for Vincent, the fisherman did not see any suitable spot for fishing. The fishing boat was not a big one. It had a small cabin for the fisherman to put his things in, but that was about it. There was not much that they talked about, but it was not as though the fisherman was unfriendly. The two of them kept a friendly and comfortable distance from each other, talking in spurts once in a while.

Three hours into the sea, the fisherman looked up and tutted. "Bad weather a-coming."

Vincent looked up and saw that the fisherman was right. Dark clouds gathered above them and the winds were picking up. "How bad would the weather be?" He asked the fisherman.

The weathered man sniffed the air and frowned. "If we're lucky, a drizzle and the clouds will pass. If not…" The fisherman did not finish that sentence. "Can't turn back now. It's too late for that. We have to press forward."

"I'll trust your judgment."

As the boat pressed onwards into the choppy waves, Vincent could tell that the fisherman regretted his decision. The waves attacked the boat mercilessly. Vincent was already up helping the fisherman, not caring if the rain soaked him to his shivering bones. Thirty minutes have passed but it could very well be up to two hours in the dreaded storm. The boat bobbed helplessly against the aggressive waves. Vincent tried not to think of anything else apart from helping the old man.

At one point, the boat tipped so much that Vincent missed his step. He grabbed the nearest thing next to him – the railings of the fishing boat – and pulled himself up. _That was close, _he thought. _If the boat were to tip any higher…_

"Y'know?" The fisherman looked at him with a humourless laugh, or it was just that Vincent could barely hear him over the roaring waves. "I kinda wished I have accepted your payment at the shore first."

Vincent was too busy holding onto the railings to look back. "Get me safely to Wutai and I'll pay you double!" He shouted.

There was a brief silence. Vincent knew at that moment that the fisherman had an expression on his face that the businessman would not want to see. "Sorry, sonny," the old man said.

That was when the wave crashed, higher than what the boat could handle. Both men fell into the sea. Vincent pulled the fisherman away from the boat as it overturned. He did not want to risk any head injuries out at sea.

The waves were strong and Vincent lost his hold of the fisherman. He cursed in his head but could not swim fast enough to rescue the other man. As the waves kept coming, his mind was swept in a blur. The last thing he remembered was an inner screaming to tell him to stay afloat.

* * *

Hehehe, that was my first capsizing scene. I kind of liked it.

At first, I had the intention of the plane going down, but I could not get the scene out. Plane crashes, common as they are in these last two years, are still quite unbelievable for me. In the end, I decided that an overturned boat was easier to depict than a plummeting plane.

Again, I apologise for making all of you wait for a month for this. I'll try to update on time, but no promises.


	13. Vincent: Stranded

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent **

**Chapter 13 – Stranded **

"_Vincent? Vincent!"_

_Vincent opened his eyes to see a beautiful lady with big brown eyes and a warm smile. _

"_Finally!" She laughed._

_He felt as though his heart could jump out. "Lu… Lucrecia?" He mumbled, as though his mouth was full of honey. His nose stung with the strong fragrance of roses._

"_Come on!" The woman laughed, pulling him up. _

_He sat up and looked around him. They were in a field of roses. They were Lucrecia's favourite flowers. Vincent blinked and shook his head a little. The last thing he remembered was that he drank a lot of sea water and he could barely see anything in front of him._

"_Vincent!" The woman shouted again. She stood under the azure sky, with roses blooming red and pink. Lucrecia beamed and giggled. She was as beautiful as he remembered._

"_Lucrecia… am I… dead?" He asked._

_The woman walked towards him and knelt next to him. "I've no idea what you're talking about," she smiled. "Maybe you are still dreaming."_

_Vincent stared at Lucrecia, beautiful and unreachable. "Am I really… dreaming?" He lay his head on her lap in relief. "If this is a dream, Lucrecia," Vincent mumbled. "Don't wake me up ever. I have forgiven you already, don't leave me anymore."_

"_Oh Vincent," she murmured. "You really are sprouting nonsense. I'm always with you…"_

* * *

Vincent felt a throbbing pain when he became aware of his surroundings. His body was wet and freezing cold, even though the sun was burning against his back. He felt rough sand against his face and he struggled to open his eyes.

_Where am I? _He wanted to ask aloud, but he could not move his lips. He tried to wriggle his fingers, horrified to find that they were stiff with the cold.

A voice spoke and he squinted to see who it was. It was a young woman, almost like a girl, but it was not Lucrecia. She was squatting beside him, with an annoyed look on her face. She spoke rapidly in a language that Vincent did not understand. Her language had many tone inclinations, but it was not a language that he understood. He frowned. He recognized the language, but he did not know how to speak it.

The girl peered at him with big brown eyes. She had short black hair and a bandanna over her forehead. Finally, she spoke with a thick accent, "Do you understand me now?" Vincent nodded, barely. "Finally!" She sighed loudly. "Are you alive?" He blinked at her random question… and nodded.

To Vincent's relief, she passed him a flask of warm water. He gratefully drank the contents of the flask, glad that it was just water. The water warmed his chest, but the heat was not travelling to his limbs. "… Thank you."

"Oh, so you CAN talk!" She grinned. "I thought you were mute, or something."

"… I was thirsty."

"Well, you were half dead too! I thought you were going to be really dead." She sat down with a loud plop. "If you were dead, my father and the whole village will probably think that I'm the one who did it. They have not gotten over the fact that I pushed Mayaka down the waterfall. I mean, it was not a push, it's more like a nudge. He fell down the waterfall because he could not balance himself. And it's not like it's a very big waterfall…"

Vincent's head was spinning so hard that he did not register anything that she said. He tried wriggling his fingers again. This time, they responded with pins and needles. "Is… Is this Wutai?" He pushed himself off the ground and sat up, wincing as blood rushed into his fingers and toes.

"That's right!" The woman answered. "Oh, what am I doing here when there's someone who is freezing cold?" She took off her jacket and tried to drape it around Vincent.

He shook his hands. "It's alright, miss. I'm covered in sand."

"Seriously?" asked the young woman with a raised eyebrow. "You are concerned about my jacket more than your body heat? It's not winter in Wutai yet, but the winds can get nasty."

_Huh. _He thought, this time accepting her jacket and stretching his aching shoulders. _Anyway, I did somehow end up in Wutai, by unconventional means. _He looked around for signs of the fisherman. "Was there anyone else besides me?" He asked the girl.

"Uh…" She opened her mouth. "No? You were the only one lying on the beach."

Vincent cursed himself inwardly. He had allowed a good man to die out in the sea.

She then noticed his eyes. "Ooh, your eyes and your accent confirm that you are not from Wutai. No wonder you could not understand me."

"I'm… from Midgar."

That was when her eyes grew as wide as plates. "Midgar?" She asked. "They said that Midgar was a place that was nothing like Wutai. They don't have many trees and…" She stopped. "Father said that there will be a man from Midgar who would come." She stared at him. "Are you the Midgar man?"

Vincent paused. "No, I'm not," he lied. He was not sure about revealing his identity to her. Not yet.

"I suppose so. You looked more shipwrecked than anything else now."

Vincent looked at his torn and weathered clothes. He supposed that he really was shipwrecked. He looked at the girl again. She looked very fresh and very energetic. "What day and time is it?" He asked.

She looked up in the sky. "It's Wednesday, around noon."

Vincent did the calculations in his head. That was about twenty hours since the boat capsized. He must have been close to the Wutai shores then, and somehow made it back to the shore, by sheer dumb luck. He hoped that the fisherman was alright.

"So… are you going to just sit here and chit chat all day?" The girl stretched out her hand. "If you are in trouble, my father could help." She grinned. "What's your name?"

"… Vin."

"Vin? Is it short for anything?"

"No, just Vin… Vin Crescent." Vincent reached out for her hand. "And you are?" Even though he was not good at making friends, he figured that he had to at least know the name of the person who helped him.

She pulled him up neatly. She had a good amount of strength unlike the city girls that Vincent knew. Vincent could always use another girl like that in his housekeeping department. "They call me by many names, but I'm best known as the White Rose of Wutai, Yuffie!"

_White Rose, huh? _Vincent thought. _The people in Wutai sure have different mindsets about beauty. _Yuffie was not ugly, but she was definitely not a beauty either. She was attractive in a girlish way. Like the kind of girl that has more beauty in her personality than her looks. Vincent had seen women more beautiful. In fact, when it comes to roses-

He shook his head a little, trying to erase thoughts of a woman who smelled of roses.

Yuffie stared at him. "Are you thinking lewd thoughts of me?" She asked, not out of disgust. "I'm the White Rose of Wutai, but I've got thorns that kick ass!" She clenched her fists at him.

Vincent stared at her, shaking his head. Maybe not the kind of girl who has more personality than looks as well. "If you say so," he mumbled. "I just want to get out of this place."

"I'll get you help, but Wutai is a beautiful place." She laughed. "You'll probably love this place more than you'll want to leave it," she commented lightly before skipping down the path.

Vincent looked at her, wondering if she was being serious or not. He had seen pictures. Though they were just a few photos, Vincent thought that Wutai was not that fantastic. _Just trees and villages. _

He looked up in the sky. The faster he could get a telephone, the better.

* * *

Yuffie was right.

Vincent had been to many places, but none of them were as impressionable as Wutai.

Even as they were trekking back to the village, Vincent noticed the abundance of flora and fauna. The country was not messy and unkempt like a country without civilization, but there were so many trees that it was difficult to see past the foliage. In the forest, all Vincent could hear was the sound of crickets.

"So Vin," Yuffie chirped. "You are from Midgar, are you not?"

"… Yeah."

"What is Midgar like? Is it anything like Wutai?"

Vincent looked around him. "Honestly, not really. We barely see any trees in Midgar."

Yuffie paused to look at him in horror. "No way! How do children find things to climb onto, then?"

"Children in Midgar… don't… really climb trees," replied Vincent, wondering how difficult would it be to describe computers and entertainment facilities. It was too tiring anyway, so when Yuffie did not ask further, he did not explain.

"Well, Wutai's expecting a foreign visitor too," Yuffie said, pushing back some vines to pass. The vines swung back, hitting Vincent in his face. "Op- Sorry!" She grimaced. "I forgot to tell you that the vines here get really stingy if you are not careful."

"Thanks for the heads up," said Vincent sarcastically, rubbing his face.

"Anyway, there's a Vincent Valentine – that's like your name, huh? – from Midgar who's supposed to come yesterday. Papa said that it's about building some place in Wutai for more foreigners to come, but…" She sighed. "He has not been here since yesterday. We folks are secretly glad though."

"Why?" asked Vincent, though he knew the reason.

Yuffie stopped to turn around. "Look around you." She smiled at the trees around her. "I'm not very well-travelled, but I know, by the looks of Rocket Town, that there aren't many places like Wutai." She grinned. "We don't want to lose this in exchange for anything."

Vincent was not convinced that all the villagers are happy with a place as outdated as Wutai, but he politely nodded and grunted acknowledgement.

As they approached the village, Vincent could hear the sounds of a town. He looked down at himself. He could really use a bath, and perhaps after speaking with Yuffie's father, he would find Godo… or maybe get in contact with Tseng first.

His thoughts all ran into a blank wall when Yuffie announced that they had arrived at Wutai.

Wutai was nothing like Midgar. Vincent had expected mud houses and campfires, honestly, for the amount of trees in the country had. Instead, the people lived in wooden houses. The houses looked as though it was made completely of wood. Vincent could barely spot a single nail on the walls. Linen flags of bright red, yellow and green lined the streets, fluttering in the wind gently. The houses had intricate designs, even the sheds had simple swirls and patterns on them. People bustled along the streets and children ran after each other, making noises of mirth and delight. Against the sun, the town was vibrant in colour and life.

Wutai was nothing like any place Vincent had been to.

Yuffie caught Vincent staring at the town in amazement. "Beautiful place, huh?" She grinned. Sparing Vincent the trouble to reply, she pulled him by his arm. "Come on, my house is just around the corner."

Vincent looked around him. "So Wutai's houses are made of wood? Don't the termites get to it?"

Yuffie blinked at him in confusion. "Termites?"

Vincent made his question easier. "You know… little ants that eat wood."

"Oh, you mean," Yuffie made a sound which Vincent presumed was Wutaian for "termite". "Wutai trees are made of hard stuff. That or termites do not eat them. That or…" She laughed sheepishly. "I've never seen termites around here." Before Vincent could reply, she led him down the front of a large house and pushed the doors open. "I'm home!" She hollered. She tugged Vincent's arm again. "Come with me," she said.

Vincent soon found himself in a large room with a sofa set and a study at the back of the room, surrounded by large windows. _Hmm… _He looked around him thoughtfully. Looking at the brilliantly coloured house when he first saw it, he had already figured out that Yuffie was not a common girl. However, the interior of the house confirmed that Yuffie was more than a rich girl.

"Hey, old man!" Yuffie called out, waving at the seat by the study table.

When the chair swiveled to face them, Vincent cleared his throat a little. The middle-aged man had dark hair like his daughter, but his thick eyebrows and sharp features gave a very strict and no-nonsense feeling. He stood tall, almost regal, and walked towards them. "About time you've returned." The man disregarded Vincent and looked at Yuffie steely.

"I was at the shore when I found this man lying half-dead." Yuffie pointed at Vincent.

"Your daughter had saved my life," Vincent added. "And I am terribly grateful."

The man looked at Vincent, and back at Yuffie. "Yuffie, go to your room." He grunted. "I'll summon you later."

"No!" Yuffie protested, linking arms with Vincent. He was surprised at the bold gesture, but showed nothing in his expression. "I found this guy, I'm staying!" She insisted, squinting at her father in defiance.

Vincent watched the man take a deep breath. _His daughter must be a handful, I can imagine. _He thought, allowing a tinge of amusement to touch the sides of his mouth.

The man quickly gestured at Vincent to sit at the long couch beside them. Vincent politely chose a wooden chair which would be less susceptible to damage from the sand on his clothes. Yuffie's father picked a more elaborate and better cushioned chair to sit on. "Greetings," he said, looking at Vincent with an air of pride and composure. "I am Godo Kisaragi, the chief and leader of the Wutai village that you are in right now."

Vincent blinked. He was not expecting that of all people, he would end up in Godo's house immediately after being shipwrecked. He glanced at Yuffie briefly. _A chief's daughter, huh? _He pondered. She was sitting on a long couch, cross-legged and waving an attendant to bring them some refreshments. _She definitely did not look like one._

Godo continued, "I wish that you would state your name and your business with Wutai, if not I will suggest you take a break and return to the mainland tomorrow morning."

Vincent pulled his lips into a thin line. There would be no point hiding his identity any further. "I'm Vincent Valentine-"

His answer was interrupted rudely by a sound of protest on his right. "Huh? You told me that your name is Vin Crescent!" Yuffie stared at him indignantly.

"I was in a foreign land and I could not afford to reveal my identity so easily," Vincent answered smoothly. "I apologise if I was not honest with you."

Godo sighed before Yuffie could say further. "So you've finally arrived, Mr Valentine. My apologies for not welcoming you warmly."

Vincent chuckled. "It's not as if you could help it, I was shipwrecked. And now I've lost everything. The documents, my cell phone… not a single thing on me."

"Except your clothes," added Yuffie hopefully.

Her father gave her an annoyed look but Yuffie puffed up her chest and stared back at him. Godo looked at Vincent with a polite smile. "In any case, I'm glad that you are safe. I'm sure that you have many questions. But first," Godo gestured at Vincent's salt and sand-stained apparel. "Would you like to have a change of clothes?"

* * *

Vincent had initial reservations about the country, but within an hour, he was convinced that Wutai had the best hot springs in the Planet. He sighed with content as he sank deeper into the pool of hot water. Anyone could relax in such a place.

_Which is why we are going to ensure that V Hotels get a spot in this place. _

He looked around him. In order to do that, much of the natural environment would be compromised. He was quite sure that if that happened, the place would be… different. Whether it would be different for the better or worse was something that Vincent could not envision.

When he walked out of the baths, he was relieved to see that Yuffie was not waiting for him. He had his fair share of people who stuck around too much. He pulled his robe closer to himself and walked back to the guest room that the Kisaragi family had prepared for him. It was tastefully decorated with wooden accents and beaded curtains. Most of all, it was private, which Vincent thoroughly appreciated.

There were two attendants in the room. The female attendant, a giggling young girl who kept glancing at Vincent when she thought he was not looking, plumped up the cushions of the couch and set the snacks and tea on the table. The male attendant, with a calm demeanor that reminded him of Tseng, led Vincent into the dressing room, where he taught and helped Vincent into what seemed like a long robe made of stiff cotton. "The yukata is what Wutaians wear when they are in the comfort of their homes," the attendant said as he straightened the collar of the robe.

"Interesting," was Vincent's short answer. Like Vincent, the male attendant did not probe with more questions.

With the yukata on, Vincent was instructed to rest until Godo called for him. Vincent sat gratefully in a comfortable couch, eating crackers and drinking tea. He refused the company of any attendant, earning a disappointed sigh from the female attendant, and paced around the room.

* * *

Everytime I open this document, I end up singing a particular song called "Stranded". It's really strange and really sad as it reveals my age too.

I apologise for not being on time with this chapter. It's not that I've stopped writing. I am writing very little at each time. Curently, I have other commitments in my life. I cannot afford to put fanfiction writing above these other things. Still, I am writing. Just writing at a snail's pace.

Anyway, I enjoy writing about Yuffie. She is a character that I would not hesitate to write about again next time! On the other hand, I struggle with writing about Vincent. Taciturn characters are not quite my forte. So we will soon see more of Vincent's back story... and a danger of Vincent going out of character. Keeping my fingers crossed real tightly.

Please read and review!


	14. Vincent: Wutai

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent **

**Chapter 14 – Wutai**

At last, it seemed that Godo was ready to meet Vincent to discuss about his shipwrecked predicament. The male attendant who helped him with his yukata entered. With a polite gesture, he led Vincent to the study, where Godo and Yuffie were sitting at the couch waiting for him.

Basic questions enquiring about his bath were asked, which Vincent answered politely that he had enjoyed them. Then Godo straightened his yukata and asked, "I believe you are anxious to make some contact with the people in Midgar. However, I'm afraid that a few days ago, the communication tower was tampered with."

Vincent kept his reaction in check. "Meaning?" He asked, fearing the worst.

"It means that you will not be able to contact anybody outside Wutai until communications are fixed," said Yuffie. "We have not been able to find out who is the one behind this. I had a hard time convincing my father that it was not me," she added with a grin.

"So… no telephone, nor internet, I would guess," repeated Vincent. He refrained from criticizing the island's lack of decent infrastructure. For such a backwater place, it would be a miracle that they actually had any sort of infrastructure, even if it was decrepit. He would be stuck in this place until he could get some sort of contact. "Without any contact to Midgar, I have no documents or plans to show you." He looked at Godo. "What are my options? Could you advise me?"

Godo smiled. "If you write a letter tonight, I'll have my boys deliver it. The letter would reach Midgar within two days and your staff can prepare a new set of plans to bring over personally. Or you could take the earliest boat tomorrow morning and we can meet back here another time, preferably after my communication tower is fixed."

The hotel CEO frowned. "The only difference is whether I'm going back to Midgar personally or not." Those hardly seemed like options to Vincent.

"You could say that," said Godo with a shrug. "If you stay here, you can use the time here to look at Wutai better." He gave Vincent a cautious onceover. "My advice would be that you should stay in Wutai while your staff brings the necessary documents to you."

There, Godo did not continue, and Vincent was not going to ask him to explain further.

Maybe it was good for him to take some time away from Midgar, Vincent reckoned, like a time out for himself. Tseng and his housekeeper had been telling him to take a break for months. Vincent did his calculations. It would take approximately four days for rescue to come, at best. Four days. Just four days in this place. It was enough time for Vincent to 'get to know Wutai better', yet fast enough for him to get out of this place quickly.

Vincent had no intention to know Wutai better. He only had interests in things that would make his time work. Four days in Wutai would be too long, in his honest opinion. He should, for the sake of being in Godo's good books, take his advice. On top of that, he should not look too anxious to write his letter as well.

"I'll get down to the letter tomorrow," answered the hotel owner. "It would be a pleasure to visit Wutai as much as I can before I return to Midgar."

"Wonderful!" It was Yuffie who was talking now. "I shall bring you around Wutai! You will love this place!" She was already bouncing on the couch like a little girl.

Vincent kept his comments to himself. He could not see how a girl, hyperactive and reckless, could be a good guide and escort for him. Out of politeness, however, Vincent thanked Yuffie graciously. Yuffie rubbed her nose and was rattling on about what they could do in Wutai, but Vincent was no longer listening.

_Just four days. _He would get his business settled, have the hotel built in Wutai, and see the smirks get wiped off the faces of the new committee when Vincent pulled out yet another miracle in the tourism industry.

_Just like how it should be._

* * *

The next day, Vincent woke up early. Knowing that Yuffie would want to accompany him, he sneaked out of her house quietly and returned to the beach alone. He was a private man by nature, not preferring to share the details of his life or his thoughts to random strangers, even if she was someone who saved his life yesterday.

The walk to the beach was less than fifteen minutes long. There were only a few paths from the village. It was not very hard, finding the beach again. When he was at the beach yesterday, he was too disoriented to notice his surroundings until they were well into the woods. Today, he was looking at the beach, shivering in the morning chill. The white glow of the sun peeked out from the horizon, slowly washing the night away. The sandy white beach stretched across a crescent, such that Vincent could barely see the ends of the beach. He stood, facing the rising sun.

_It is a beautiful sunrise, _he smiled to himself. _Worthy of anyone's viewing pleasure. Lucrecia would have loved it here too._

Shaking that thought away, Vincent walked along the stretch, scanning around for anything or anyone that he might recognize. All he found was his old pen, which previously was clipped onto his shirt pocket. The pen clung onto the pocket like a good soldier during the storm and only fell out when Vincent reached the shores of Wutai. Vincent twisted the pen. With that much saltwater, the pen was as good as gone anyway.

Walking through the stretch of sand took an hour, back and forth. When he returned to the original spot where he came from, the sun was already up and the sky was a pale blue. Vincent sat at the sand, deep in thoughts.

_Here I am, _he said to himself. _Shipwrecked, not a single gil in my pockets, far away from my comfortable bed and the hotel. So pathetic…_

_So… free. _

Vincent was surprised at his choice of words, but he welcomed the idea. _It will be good for me to stay away from Midgar for now. I dare say the new management would be pleased too._

The management wanted to show Vincent that they could do better without his inexperience. They were eager to show it to Vincent. These people were still older than Vincent. No doubt they were more experienced than Vincent, but experience was more than just the number of years. They certainly did not appreciate the policies that Vincent had in place, unlike the older generation of executives.

Vincent felt alone with the last few months, trying to convince the committee that everything that he had done had been sound and rational. Was it not he who brought the hotel out of the red, when they were sitting back and allowing the top management to handle it? Not a single one of them stepped forward to offer help. Heck, the way some of them complained when Vincent asked for another quarterly staff meeting…

From behind him, Vincent heard a soft crunch of sand, approaching him. He sighed, feeling his anger ebb. Looks like his time of solitude was coming to an end.

"There you are!" Yuffie's chirpy voice in the early morning was enough to silence even the seagulls squawking along the Wutai cliffs. Vincent did not turn around until Yuffie stood next to him. "My father was surprised to hear from the servants that you left early morning. He thought that you had changed your mind and taken the boat home."

Vincent shook his head to himself. "I am still here." He looked at Yuffie again.

"Well, if you're going to stay here in Wutai for the next few days, I suggest that we better start moving." Yuffie pulled Vincent's arm.

_She really had absolutely no sense of personal space or social awareness,_ thought Vincent, though he followed her behind. However, Vincent knew that for Godo to approve of his project, the first step would likely be to indulge his daughter, Yuffie, in whatever plans she had. Vincent looked around him at the trees and foliage. _Where are we going? _He wondered.

As though she sensed his question, she turned around, declaring, "You are going to experience the best of Wutai!"

* * *

Yuffie was not joking when she said 'the best of Wutai'. She brought him around, showing him the sights of Wutai. The chief's daughter spared no expense in showing him everything that she could, starting from the lively markets to the temples where the villagers prayed to.

"Before the Kisaragi family took over as the chief family, Wutai used to be governed by the Kannazuki," explained Yuffie, bending over to pull out a blade of grass over the cracked stone pavements.

Vincent remembered Yuffie telling him about the twelve families that reside in Wutai. Each family name corresponded with Wutai's traditional names of the twelve months. Now, with the additional lineage of people coming from Rocket Town over the last few decades, the village expanded slightly, although the twelve families still remain as the aboriginals of Wutai.

"What happened that made the Kisaragi family become chief family?" asked Vincent,

The young woman shrugged. "Who remembers?" She sighed.

_Some tour guide you are,_ thought Vincent in slight amusement, though he said nothing.

Without warning, Yuffie punched his arm, earning a groan from Vincent. _Damn, this girl is strong. _He thought, rubbing his arm and glaring at her. "You are making fun of me!" Yuffie huffed, in response to his glare.

"I did not say anything."

"But I can read your mind!" She jabbed her temples. "You were looking at me and doubting my abilities as a tour guide!" Not only were her punches strong, she had good acumen too. You should be glad that I remembered at least something! My history teacher would be so proud of me." She folded her arms with a grin.

Yuffie was quite the entertainment and liveliness herself – Vincent thought she should become a part of the sights in Wutai, together with the mountains and temples. She was cheeky and borderline hyperactive. Having a foreigner to chaperone did not stop her from getting into all sorts of trouble. She was also loud and brash. Wherever she went, people would know of her presence, hearing her before they could see her.

The people loved her.

Despite being anything but a refined, educated and sensible chief daughter, Yuffie was warm, sincere and thoughtful. Children flocked to her in the marketplace. Stallowners were not afraid to ask her to run errands for them when they needed an extra hand around. Well, not many did that after she announced that she had to bring 'the Midgar man' around Wutai. Vincent tried to keep his face neutral. He recognized that he was an outsider, but he would rather not have the attention fall on him. Besides, he was not interested in making friends with these villagers. He did, however, make an effort to interact with the people who approached him. He had to show some sort of interest after all.

The highlights of his visit were the natural spots that Yuffie brought him to. Mountains, rivers, fields of flowers… they were common in Wutai, and the villagers did nothing to minimize the presence of nature in the land. It was difficult to feign disinterest when Yuffie was dragging him away to the wild all the time. Any place in Wutai is comparable to the best looking views in Midgar. Not even Emerald Hills and its well-known night view could compete. The price to pay was an aching body. Vincent had not exercised like that in a long time.

It was the third day since Vincent came to Wutai. Yuffie must have noticed that Vincent was not of the same stamina as she was since their climb in Da Chao Mountain. Today was an easy trek down to the valley, where according to Yuffie, "a super awesome waterfall" resided at the bottom of the valley.

"So have you written the letter to Midgar already?" asked Yuffie.

"Yes, I have. Thank you for your concern."

To be honest, Vincent had clean forgotten about it until just now, while Yuffie was knocking on his door mentioning something about home. He had quickly written a letter addressed to Tseng, explaining that he was safe and that he needed Tseng's help to arrange his documents and make a trip to Wutai. "Don't be in such a hurry to come," Vincent had written in his letter. "I'm using this time to take a break as you've suggested." Though the letter and explanation was reasonable, it was not like Vincent at all. He was not ready to ask himself why.

When he saw the small but beautiful waterfall, surrounded by grey and green stone and leading to a small pool of crystal clear water, Vincent only knew that this was the place that he would not mind staying for a while longer.

"Come on!" laughed Yuffie, throwing her sling bag onto the earth. Before Vincent could react, she pulled off her tank top.

"What are you-" Vincent looked away immediately. A flush crept up his face and he focused on looking at the floor.

"Relax, Vincent! It's a bikini!" The man looked up and to his embarrassment, found that it was so. Yuffie placed her hands akimbo and looked at Vincent smugly. "What did you take me for?" She laughed. "I'm not some skanky city girl, you know."

For all her nonsense and idiocy, Yuffie never threw her weight around when it came to her reputation as the chief's daughter. Vincent can remember, more than once, situations in Midgar where some heiress of some company was offended by Vincent's aloofness and threatened his position using her father's name. Vincent made short work of their arrogance and sent a clear message to all his business associates that he was not one to be made a fool of.

"Of course you are not," answered Vincent calmly. Well, as calmly as he could. "Still, it's not wise to dress so little in front of men," he advised, straightening his shirt a little. "Aren't you cold?" Like what Yuffie said a few days ago, Wutai is not snowing, but it can get very chilly on some afternoons, even though the sun is shining brightly.

"This bit of coldness does not faze any Wutaian." Yuffie cocked her head with a snide smile. "So what is it? Are you flustered by the White Rose of Wutai's hotness?"

Vincent shook his head. He had never seen such arrogance from any girl that he had met. Not from any girl her age. Suddenly, a splash of cold water hit him. "What the-"

"If you don't come and enjoy the waterfall," warned Yuffie teasingly. "The waterfall will come after you!" She readied her hands with another scoop of water. He regarded Yuffie's nonsensical antics for a second, and shook his head. Yuffie was not going to take his 'no' for an answer. "Come on, Vincent! The water is cooling and relaxing!"

"You can enjoy yourself." He walked towards a tree that offered the best shade. "I'll just sit here," Vincent decided. "Away from that freezing water."

He heard Yuffie waddling out of the water behind him. She stood before him, water dripping off her body. Again, Vincent looked away in a gentlemanly manner. "Seriously, Vincent. You got to be here until your Midgar friends come and pick you up."

Vincent would hardly call his staff 'friends', but he made no effort to correct her. He looked at her without speaking.

Yuffie made a face. "What I'm saying is, while you are stuck here, you might as well have some fun."

The man looked at her youthful face. _She must be at least ten years younger than me, _he thought. _Carefree, reckless and not concerned about her future. _"Not everyone is your age, Yuffie," he grunted. "When you grow up, you will know."

"Hey!" She protested. "I'm twenty, I'm hardly a child anymore."

Vincent was surprised, but did not show it. _Still, eight years younger. Still carefree, reckless and not concerned about her future. _"If you say so," he answered politely.

He felt Yuffie stare at him for a long time but he did not need to wait long. "You know, I mean to say this a while ago, but I cannot hold back anymore," she blurted.

"I'm not stopping you." Vincent glanced at her, wondering what wonders may sprout out from her unfiltered brain.

"You are too unfriendly," She huffed, folding her arms. The white bikini creased a little under the pressure of her arms so Vincent took to looking away again. He was not uncomfortable seeing women in little clothing; hostesses, hopeful clients or their daughters often do that. However, he knew that Yuffie did not carry that intention and he could not take advantage of that. She was, after all, the daughter of a very important client.

Vincent decided to amuse her with conversation this time. "Do I?"

"You look as though everyone here owes you something. But there were times you looked a little… confused." She made a face, pondering if the choice of her words was correct.

Vincent thought that it was so. He chuckled to himself. "I think you mean to say that I was rude, not confused." Yuffie could not answer to that so she shrugged. "I'm not being rude," he said. "I guess that's just how I am, sorry."

"That's just an excuse," she huffed.

He sighed. "I'm not very good at making friends, that's what I'm trying to say."

"Well, you are really doing that very well," remarked Yuffie sarcastically with a side smile.

Her words hit him with like a shot taken too quickly. He stumbled at the words that _that person _once said so often. "Let me do what I do. I know myself," he grunted.

She sighed at his displeasure. "You are supposed to be on a shipwreck-holiday but you don't look like you are enjoying yourself."

He looked at her and realised that her face was serious. "You don't put shipwrecked and holiday together," he pointed out.

She grinned. "It makes sense in your case."

At last, he stood. "Fine." He gave her a smile, the one that he often used to entertain his clients. "If it makes you happy, Yuffie, I'll join you at the waterfall." Vincent took off his sandals, shivering as his bare feet touched the cold pebbles of the ground. He needed Wutai to cooperate with him for his project. If Yuffie could help his cause, he would need to start being friendly with her.

She grinned. "That's the spirit!"

There was an excited shout behind them. Both Vincent and Yuffie turned around to see who it was. Yuffie grinned and waved at them. She turned back at Vincent. "Just some kids from the village."

The group of three boys made their way towards them. Upon reaching them, they stared at Vincent and looked at his dark hair and copper eyes. They looked no older than fifteen. "Is this the Midgar man?" They asked in fairly fluent Midgarian.

Yuffie nodded and nudged Vincent towards them. "This is Vincent. You guys will need to call him Brother Vincent." She looked at Vincent. "Or should they call you something else…?"

The man shook his head. "Please call me Vincent," he said slowly to the boys, who nodded with a wide smile. The joy of being able to understand Midgarian is always more satisfying when spoken by a native speaker, after all. They introduced themselves as brothers, Lukka, Peroka and Mayaka. Vincent was sure that Yuffie has mentioned Mayaka's name before but he was not quite sure when.

"Hi Vincent!" they waved and looked at Yuffie again. "Yuffie! Let's go and play!" The boys jumped up and down. Clearly, the cold did not bother them at all.

They ran down the grass field and waddled into the water. Vincent took off his polo t-shirt and followed after them, with less enthusiasm. They dipped themselves and soon, the three boys started splashing water at each other and Yuffie. Vincent noted that they were polite enough to leave him out of the mess. They began talking in Wutaian but Vincent did not understand.

Yuffie laughed and answered, while Vincent sensed embarrassment in her tone. He raised an eyebrow. "What happened?" he asked.

She waved her hands at him. "Nothing much," she answered. Vincent looked at her, silently probing her to explain. Yuffie sighed. "They were making fun of my swimsuit. Saying it's ugly and the like." Vincent frowned at that remark.

Yuffie, however, just laughed and waved a hand at him. "Don't worry, Vincent!" She grinned. "'Boys will be boys', that's how you'll use that Midgarian phrase, right?"

Behind her, the boys were still laughing and pushing each other around. Vincent took a deep breath.

So much for leaving himself out of the mess.

Vincent waded towards them and gave them a smack on their heads. "That was not very polite," he said sternly. "You should not talk to a girl like that." He had gone ahead to get himself into some mess, though it was unintentional. Boys will be boys, but someone needs to talk to them before they get out of hand.

The two boys stared at him, a little at loss. Until Vincent felt a slosh of water drenching his whole body. Vincent turned around to see the third boy tossing another handful of water in his face. As the second jet of lake water hit Vincent square in the face, the third boy whooped and spoke in Wutaian.

The former two boys whooped as well. Vincent supposed that the boys were more excited to see their friend able to get an attack in.

"Mayaka!" said Yuffie, sounding more embarrassed than earlier on. "Don't be rude." She followed up with a string of Wutaian but Vincent did not bother to ask what they were saying.

He flicked the water off his face and gave the boys a grin. "You think that I cannot take a bit of water, eh?" He challenged. "Take that!"

With that, he launched into a barrage of water attacks at the teenagers, who yelled and dodged playfully. Yuffie stood at the side, staring at Vincent… until Vincent skidded his hands across the clear water towards her. She gasped as the cold water rushed against her and narrowed her eyes at Vincent. "Challenge accepted," she smirked. "I'll show you people how skillful the White Rose of Wutai can be!"

Vincent smiled. The water, indeed, was cooling and relaxing.

* * *

Wow. The biggest mental block ever. I was unable to get anything out for the last two months. I'm pretty glad that it's over.

I've written a short blurb and post on my thoughts writing this story so far. That's what I usually do for my previous stories, but I kinda forgot to do that this year. If you have tons of time in your hands, feel free to visit my blog at aichioluv dot blogspot dot sg

If not, please review this chapter as it would mean tons to me. Have a good week ahead!


	15. Lessons

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent**

**Chapter 15 – Lessons**

After a tiring morning at the waterfall, Yuffie spared Vincent's "old body", as she cheekily quoted, by staying in the village instead. She said that she had her own things to do and that Vincent could have the time to himself. The idea of spending some time alone was tempting but the thought of his project forced him to pick up his feet to follow her around town.

"Are you sure that you want to follow along?" She asked, when she saw him walking behind her. She had changed out of her bikini and into her loose-fitted blouse and khaki shorts, though her hair was still damp from the waterfall. "I'm just doing my own things, and it can get pretty boring for you."

Vincent gave a smile. "I am not very tired. Besides, I would love to know more about the country."

"Is that so…" She replied but did not comment further.

The remainder of the afternoon was spent in the main village. Yuffie's weekend hobby consisted running from stall to stall to help out with small errands. Vincent followed her around and naturally, the curious villagers flocked towards them with questions and observations. Yuffie translated some questions for him and he answered with "Yes" or "No". However, there were simply too many questions. Women were clucking around Vincent in their Wutai native language while men tried to converse with their unpractised Midgarian language. Vincent felt so overwhelmed that he was tempted to turn around and return to Godo's house.

"I happy you like Wutai," stammered one middle-aged man in broken Midgarian. Vincent barely understood what he meant and answered him in a cordial manner. At least the man spoke to Vincent with more sincerity than his executive board combined. "Love trees and mountains, you?"

"Um… Yes." Vincent felt awkward replying in Midgarian language. Just how simple must he make his sentences so that the villagers understood him? "No trees and mountains in Midgar."

"Ah…" The man sighed. "Midgar is not lucky." He stretched his arms towards the Da Chao Mountain. "Da Chao make all beautiful." At the mention of Da Chao Mountain, the people around the man nodded in assent. "Thank you to Da Chao, us!"

By now, Vincent was not sure whether he understood the man. However, from the reverence he gave towards the mountain and nature, Vincent knew how much love the villagers had for what they had right now. He knew that it was a good time to start asking them about their opinion for a resort in Wutai…

But something was holding him back.

Yuffie had left him a while ago, seeing that the man's broken Midgarian was enough to keep both Vincent and the Wutaians busy. A while later, he noticed the chief's daughter ducking under a tent and disappearing. He excused himself from the overly friendly villagers and walked towards the tent. He peered in, taking in the heat that came out from the tent.

Inside, a small mat was placed on the floor. There were about six children of different ages sitting on the floor and looking up at Yuffie. She had a simple slate in her hand and on the slate, simple words like "is" and "was" were written on it.

She looked up at Vincent. He could not tell if she was flushing from the heat or from embarrassment. "What are you looking at?" She asked hotly.

"I was wondering what you were doing," explained Vincent coolly.

"Teaching… Midgarian to the children," she muttered. "Whoever that is interested, anyway."

Vincent bent lower and entered the tent as well. It amused him to see how uncomfortable she looked, but he did not know why. "Do you do this every day?"

"Before you came crashing in my island, yes." Yuffie twisted a damp piece of hair away. "Um… Do you… want to visit some other place yourself? I'll catch up later."

"Oh, no, don't mind me. I'm happy being here," replied Vincent, looking back at the children who were now staring at him in wonder. "Besides, this could possibly be the only thing that I can relate to."

They chittered in their language excitedly to Yuffie, who answered calmly back in Wutaian. Finally, an older boy, much like the boys at the waterfall, scooted closer to him. "Hello," he said tentatively.

"… Hello," said Vincent.

It was as though as spell as broken. The other children all scooted over and talked to him in their bits and pieces of Midgarian. Yuffie stood and spoke to them in an annoyed tone. Vincent looked at her questioningly. Finally, she turned away. "I… I don't really want you around to see me teach children," she said with some embarrassment.

"You mean to say that you are bad in teaching Midgarian?" asked Vincent.

At that question, the oldest boy, the one who first approached Vincent, blurted, "No! Yuffie is wonderful teacher! She used a lot of time teaching us!"

Vincent could tell. The boy was speaking almost as fluently as Yuffie, despite using some mismatched words. "How long have you been Yuffie's student?"

"About ten years," answered the boy quietly. "Midgarian not easy to learn."

"'Is', Rekka," corrected Yuffie. "'Midgarian IS not easy to learn.'" The boy Rekka turned and laughed sheepishly. Yuffie sighed and looked at Vincent. "Fine, you can stay and watch me embarrass myself. But you need to help too."

Vincent found himself teaching a younger group of children how to write letters on slate, while Yuffie took the older children like Rekka to teach further about tenses. It was not easy, he was unable to communicate to them at all. However, the children enjoyed writing new symbols on the slate. The children sounded off letters of the alphabet, giggling as they did so.

"Ku," said one.

Vincent shook his head. "It's 'Q'," he corrected.

"Kyu," repeated the child, dragging the sound.

"Kyu!" chimed in the others. They seemed to like the sound. They ran around him, chanting the letter over and over. Vincent looked at them, at a complete loss. What would the company think of him? A young man who could control hundreds of employees and a new executive board of stubborn mules, but not a teensy group of four children?

_This is why I don't like kids._

From the corner of his eye, he saw Yuffie look over. Her face softened into a smile. "They like you," she said.

A stab in his heart. Once again, she said those very things that he did not want to hear. He pretended not to hear her words, focusing very intently on that letter "Q" that had the stroke the wrong way.

* * *

Yuffie did not question him about his reaction to her words. After returning the children home, she stretched herself. "What a tiring day," she yawned. "Well then, we better head back home." She then picked her nose, to Vincent's surprise. "I wonder what's for dinner?"

Vincent stared at her. "White Rose, huh?"He wondered aloud. Yuffie looked back at him. "I didn't know that famous people in Wutai pick their noses in public," he commented with amusement.

Yuffie stared back at him, mouth agape. "Don't judge me," she demanded, maintaining whatever confidence she had left. "I'm not one of your silly city girls that are too afraid to be themselves. I'm the White Rose of Wutai, I have the privilege to pick my nose!"

To her further embarrassment, Vincent laughed loudly. He could not believe that Yuffie could say all of those without feeling embarrassed.

Annoying as she was, Vincent did not mind having her around.

* * *

The following morning, Vincent returned to the beach. This time, he only sat there to enjoy the beach and its waves. _How four days in Wutai could do so much to one's mind,_ he thought. He would have never thought that he would actually like this place. Everything about this place caught his heart and he would not want to change a single thing.

_Not even to build-_

The crunching of footsteps on the sand stopped him from finishing his thought. Vincent sighed. So much for some solitude. _With Yuffie around, there would never be solitude, _he thought. Now Yuffie would scold him for wandering around the island without a chaperone – as though he was a child. Who knew what that unpredictable girl was thinking?

"Vincent."

Vincent turned around in surprise. It was not Yuffie, but seeing the familiar face, Vincent smiled. "Tseng. I should've guessed that you would come here as soon as possible. It couldn't be that you've received my letter though, could it?" He had only given the letter to the messenger boy yesterday.

His good friend and trusted subordinate shook his head. "When I heard that you have disappeared, I tried to contact Wutai but-"

"The lines were cut off," explained Vincent. Thereafter, he retold the story about his boat accident and how he ended up safely in Wutai. "How did you come here?"

Tseng explained that he came by boat from Rocket Town, but he secretly landed in a private area where villagers would not be able to find him. The fisherman who was with him was still waiting for him where the boat was. "I was not sure what the situation was like over here. Looks like my worries were for naught. "

The CEO nodded. Tseng was a Wutai native, so it was likely that he knew the Wutai terrain just as well as any other Wutai citizen. "I am safe. Godo and the country has been helping me as much as they can. What of Midgar?" asked Vincent.

"Buzzing about your disappearance," answered Tseng. "It was all over the billboards and televisions. While the board was trying to convince the mayor to send a search warrant to Wutai, I slipped away and decided to track you down myself."

Hearing Tseng's calm and composed voice, Vincent felt his heart relax. He knew that he could trust Tseng to do things according to Vincent's interests. "Tseng, do you happen to have a copy of the hotel proposal?"

Tseng lifted a small suitcase. "Prepared a copy in case you have lost it."

The man laughed to himself. Tseng was always prepared for any situation. "Thanks, man."

"Now that I have found you," said Tseng with a small smile. "We shall get Godo's signature and we can return to Rocket Town by tonight."

_So soon? _Vincent thought immediately, but disregarded it. "I…"

"The board has been actively searching for you, but I doubt their patience would last long if you continue to stay hidden."

"I'm not trying to hide." Vincent found it hard to explain. _Really, why am I so hesitant to return?_ "I… I would like to stay in Wutai a little more." That was the only answer he could manage.

His best friend looked at him but his expression showed nothing of his emotions. "That's a different response from what I heard previously," mused Tseng. "… Is it because there is a woman?"

For some reason, Vincent saw an image of a short-haired girl. "No," he laughed it away. "I really hope not."

Luckily for Vincent, Tseng was never one who would probe for details. "If that is your wish, I shall leave the documents with you and return to Midgar first," said Tseng.

"That is my decision." Vincent nodded.

Tseng promised to return for Vincent when he was ready. Vincent also gave Tseng the task to look for the fisherman whom Vincent lost on the day of the boat capsize. Whether the fisherman lived or not, Vincent needed to give the fisherman's family some information, at least.

"Won't you stay in Wutai for even a night?" asked Vincent. Tseng shook his head. "Don't you still have relatives around?"

"… I suppose so." Tseng pushed back a lock of hair to the back of his head. "However, my father and mother left Wutai sixteen years ago. Even if they had wanted to return, they can't now. It will be weird for me to return here and claim that I was a child of two dead Wutaians." Tseng shrugged. "Besides, I have found my place in Midgar."

Vincent chuckled softly at that. "You better make what you say become real before you lose it out of your sheer negligence."

"Like I needed YOU to give me lessons."

* * *

Tseng had said it casually, but his last few words Vincent thinking for a really long time, long after Tseng took his boat back to Rocket Town. Even after Godo had informed Vincent that the communication tower had been restored and that Vincent could make phone calls to Midgar.

His first phonecall was not to Tseng, since his right-hand man was probably still on his way back to Midgar. Vincent called his secretary Lydia, enduring the torrents of anxiety, fear and relief over the phone. "And of all times, Tseng decided to take a 3 day break and disappear!" Lydia complained. "The board is full of tension. Many people were suggesting to allow Heidegger to be the temporary in-charge until you are found."

Vincent sighed in frustration. "I was gone for one week and this is what happened? When Tseng returns, tell him all these and that I will return to Midgar as soon as my contract is settled."

Lydia gave a noise of surprise. "You mean to say that you haven't closed the deal? You are usually faster than that."

The CEO did not answer her question. "Tell Tseng to give the Kisaragi residence a call when he is back. Tseng would need to fend off the board until my return." There was no way he would allow his family business to fall into the hands of selfish people like Heidegger.

"You have my word, president," said Lydia softly. "Don't forget that you are not alone in this."

"Thank you. I'll be back by next week."

* * *

Even though he assured Lydia of his fast return, Vincent really wondered how long he would actually take before he returned. He had stayed in Wutai for five full days, but he honestly had no desire to return so soon. He did not mention Tseng's presence to Yuffie nor Godo. The citizens of Wutai may not know of any exiled Wutaians anyway.

It was November and Wutai was in the midst of preparations for their Shimotsuki festival which marked the beginning of winter. "It's going to get cold, Vincent," commented Yuffie. "You should have brought more winter clothing."

"… I was not intending to stay here for long."

Yuffie laughed. "Indeed. See? I have been a good tour guide, haven't I?"

"How does that make you a good tour guide?" asked Vincent with a frown.

"You are falling in love with Wutai, thanks to me!" She laughed.

Vincent wished that she was wrong, but somewhere, his heart stirred with the words that she said.

Unknown to Yuffie, he had been walking around the island on his own, looking for suitable locations for his hotel. If Godo has decided to allow V Hotels to collaborate with Wutai tourism, then Vincent wanted to be ready with his proposal and location of the new resort. Despite many suitable-looking locations – his heart was almost decided when he saw the waterfall – he had always ended up at the beach, staring out into the distant ocean.

Two days after Vincent's encounter with Tseng, he stepped out of Godo's house one morning and found a boy pacing outside. When their eyes met, the boy dipped his head politely.

"Good morning, Vincent," greeted the teenager.

"Ah, you are… Rekka, aren't you?" asked Vincent. He was one of the more fluent boys in Yuffie's language class.

The boy nodded. "I have a question for Yuffie," said the boy with little hesitation. Vincent marveled at the near-fluency of the boy's language. Yuffie has been a good teacher.

"I think she is asleep," answered Vincent.

"I guess… She always sleeps late on Monday mornings." Suddenly, Rekka looked at him with small anticipation. "Can you help me?" asked the boy shyly. "Your Midgarian is good."

Vincent blinked at the boy's sudden request. "I'm going to be honest with you," he said, folding this arms. "I'm not into this whole… helping thing."

"I… I don't understand. It's just a question…"

Vincent sighed. _I doubt I can understand that about myself too_. "Sorry, Rekka," said Vincent again with a wave of his hand. "I can't help you out."

As he turned away, the teenager said with a soft voice, "Really, how long will you be like this?"

The CEO turned around and looked at Rekka, half-confused. "Excuse me?"

The young man looked a little startled. Apparently, he had thought that Vincent would ignore his attempt to make a jab at him. Now that the older man had his attention renewed, the young squared his shoulders and spoke a little louder. "You are not very interested in this island, I am guessing. To you, everything here is just the money you can get from this."

_Maintain composure, _Vincent told himself. _It's normal for any Wutai citizen to come to that conclusion. _"It's not my business to report to anybody about how I feel towards Wutai." Vincent stared back at Rekka, as if challenging him to make a retort.

And he did. "Maybe Yuffie's too stupid. She does not notice about this at all."

That was when Vincent felt his displeasure at breaking point. "Listen, boy. All I want is some peace and quiet. Some alone time. If one question is all I need to stop your yammering, I'll do it."

Rekka then broke into a wide grin. "Sure!" He laughed. "Lukka was not kidding…"

Vincent stared at him and his sudden reaction. "Wait, you mean you don't mean what you said?"

Rekka laughed. "Yeah! It was a joke! My brothers said you get angry fast. I also thought you would admit that you did not care about Wutai too." He shrugged. "I guess you do like Wutai a lot, huh?"

A small chill ran through Vincent's back as he realised that the young boy was testing his intentions. Deciding not to answer Rekka's question, Vincent sighed loudly, "And who, are these brothers of yours?" He could not believe that Rekka would provoke him just to answer a question. "You are just as cheeky as the boys at the waterfall."

"Oh? The boys at the waterfall are my brothers," said Rekka with a grin.

Vincent nodded in understanding. "Now I understand. All three of them?"

"Yes. Peroka and Mayaka are older brothers. Lukka is younger than me," answered Rekka, now pulling Vincent to a bench a short distance from the main gate.

"So who's the one who splashed water at my face?"

Rekka shrugged. "But I'm guessing it's Mayaka. He's the naughtiest in the family, even though he's the oldest."

They stopped this conversation for a while so that Rekka could ask Vincent his question. It turned out that one question led to another. Rekka's questions were not about grammatical structures or tenses. They were practical questions like the types of words to be used for whichever situation. Rekka was right to ask Vincent, as Yuffie would not have known much in this matter too.

"Vincent, do you like Yuffie?"

Vincent looked at Rekka suddenly. "… What's with that question?" He asked. "It's not a language question."

Rekka was not looking at Vincent anymore. "Peroka said that Mayaka called you 'the Midgar lover' at the waterfall."

Vincent resisted laughing, because Rekka looked very serious. "I'm not-"

"Usually, if we make fun of Yuffie, she would give us a hard time. But Lukka said that she looked a little embarrassed at the waterfall." Before Vincent could reply, Rekka looked at him. "If she likes you and you like her, you will take her away, or not?" Rekka asked. "We… We like Yuffie. If she's gone, no one will teach us Midgarian."

Vincent stared at Rekka, who was saying a lot more than Vincent needed to hear. The young boy was serious. Vincent found himself less willing to brush his sincere question away than his usual, over-enthusiastic staff. "Rekka, I treat Yuffie just as a good friend." He patted the young boy's shoulder. "I won't take her away. Even if I want to bring her back to Midgar, I don't think she would follow me."

Rekka chuckled, his worry easing. "You're right."

Vincent rubbed his hands and drew a quick breath of relief. "Give me the next question, Rekka."

"There you are!"

Vincent looked up and saw Yuffie standing at the main gate of her house. She frowned, seeing who he was with. "And what are you doing here, Rekka?" She folded her arms.

Rekka answered her in Wutaian which obviously Vincent did not understand. She sighed loudly and replied Rekka in their native language. Finally, she turned her attention back to Vincent. "My father wants to meet you in his study," she said.

As Vincent stood, Rekka did also. "You know," whispered Rekka into Vincent's ear. "Even though you are from Midgar, my brothers and I like you very much. Everyone does."

Vincent blinked at Rekka, wondering what he should say. However, Yuffie's presence saved Vincent from needing to reply Rekka. He smiled at the young man politely before walking towards the Kisaragi house.

* * *

A little late in announcing this, but I have been on hiatus for the last two months or so, and will be on hiatus until February 2016. There are major changes in my life (which you can read on my blog) and I need some time to adapt to my new lifestyle which will probably last till mid 2016. I seek your understanding and hope that you will still be around to support me when I am back.

I am grateful for the help and support that my readers have been giving me. Till then, Merry Christmas and a happy new year to you!


	16. Vincent: Deal

**The Only Exception**

I'm back.

**Story 3 – Vincent **

**Chapter 16 – Cosmos Heaven**

Godo Kisaragi sat alone in his study room, nodding at Vincent as he came in. After inviting him to take a seat and pouring himself a cup of Wutai tea, Godo cleared his throat. "I have read your proposal," he began.

Vincent briefly reminded himself that it was the proposal that he retrieved from his email, and not the white folder that Tseng sneaked into Wutai. Godo must never know that one of his hotel staff sneaked into Wutai without permission and documentation to meet Vincent.

The chief of Wutai smiled. "It was a good proposal, well-thought and feasible. You are certainly a man of good foresight, despite your age."

The CEO took no offense to his words, humbly accepting the compliment instead. If there was anything that Vincent learnt about Godo, it was that the man was frank and sincere – something that his daughter picked up.

"I have decided to work with V Hotels," declared Godo. "Let's make Wutai a better place for everyone."

Vincent refrained from smiling too widely. He allowed himself a small smile and thanked the older man for agreeing to collaborate with V Hotels. "I understand that construction of the hotel would not take place for a while…" Vincent said.

"Until better infrastructure is in place," finished Godo for him. "I will need your help to contact the mayor of Midgar for me." He bowed his head a little. "To have to trouble you for something out of your job…"

Vincent waved it off. "It will benefit me in the long run," assured Vincent.

Godo nodded. "You will find that the land in the west, as you have previously proposed, will be most suitable." He stood and gave his back a good stretch. "When you return from Midgar, we can discuss about the finer details before construction." He paused briefly. "When will you leave Wutai?"

"I… I intend to leave soon. Perhaps after lunch today… Or tomorrow." _Or the day after, _he thought to himself. The idea of leaving Wutai so soon was…

The older man cleared his throat. "I suppose so… After all, we have taken up a lot of your time. You have been gracious in spending your week with us in Wutai."

"The pleasure was mine too," rejoined Vincent sincerely.

"I can imagine how much work you will face when you return." They chuckled politely at that common understanding. He took his cup of tea. "I'm sure your family and friends would want to have you back with them as soon as possible."

"No," Vincent blurted before he could stop himself. "Actually… no one is waiting for me." He muttered these words with a slight embarrassment. He hardly admits things like these to anyone, much less a client. "I… I thought of returning early so that I can get work done but I'm not… well, not really…"

His client spared him the trouble to admit it. Godo took a deep breath. "Since you are not in a hurry to return, could you grant me the wish of an old man?" As Vincent looked at him questioningly, he continued, "Could you stay for one more evening and leave tomorrow? Tonight is the Shimotsuki festival. Our boatmen would be disappointed if they knew that they had to miss the festival to ferry you back to Rocket Town."

Vincent chuckled politely at his comment. "Certainly. I am pleased that I could stay for one more night."

"No more pleasantries from you," said Godo with a wide grin. "Just stay and enjoy yourself. I'll ask Yuffie to bring you around again."

"Having Yuffie's presence would be most delightful." Vincent smiled. "Thank you very much, sir."

Yuffie burst into the room without knocking. Godo sighed and motioned his daughter to join them in the study room. "Good morning, pops. Good morning, Vincent," she greeted casually and plopped herself on the couch. Turning her attention to her father, she asked, "What's the plan today? Was thinking of grabbing Vincent to help out with the festival set up."

"Vincent and I will be talking about some details for his hotel." Godo and Vincent exchanged acknowledging glances at each other. "We won't take long, maybe two hours. You can take him after that, if he's agreeable."

"Oh." Yuffie blinked. "Does that mean that the hotel building would continue?" Her voice was less perky than usual from the morning sleepiness. "Wouldn't you want to go back and um…" She twirled her wrist. "Discuss with your company or something?" Godo threw a warning glance at Yuffie, reminding her to know her place in a business conversation. She opened her mouth, wanting to retort, but decided against it.

Vincent thought about his board members, a group of people who were already against him and his idea that they could expand their business to Wutai. He shook his head at Godo. "I have already decided to build my hotel here. That is the reason why I am here."

The Wutai chief touched his beard. "I understand. Well, Yuffie will be bringing you around again today." He nodded at Yuffie. "Could you excuse Vincent and I?"

Yuffie nodded her head with her father. Vincent had actually expected her to be more vibrant in her response. "Sure, sure…" She hopped out of the couch and walked towards the door a little listlessly… "Hey Vincent," she suddenly spun around with a cheeky grin on her face. "Did my dad tell you why the communications tower was broken?" Vincent shook his head. "Turns out that it was one of the teenagers from-"

She was silenced by a glare from her father. She kept quiet but the glint in her eye told Vincent that she would tell him later on. Vincent kept his face neutral, though he was just as curious. He had suspected that Godo purposefully kept the communications tower down so that he could keep Vincent in Wutai, but it seemed that he was wrong to think that of Godo.

As she left, Godo sighed loudly. "I have no idea what to do with my daughter sometimes." He looked at Vincent briefly. "But she is a good girl," he said, more to himself than to Vincent.

"She is," assured Vincent politely. "She seems a little… different today."

"Ah." Godo waved it casually. "She's just upset that Wutai will become a tourist attraction with the construction of V Hotels. It's just her childish thinking. The decision to invite foreigners to Wutai was a decision made by the twelve family heads and it is for the good of Wutai in the long run." He cleared his throat. "Enough of my complaining. These are concerns that you don't have to trouble yourself with."

"Thank you, Godo, for everything you've done for V Hotels." Vincent stood and bowed. "I am truly honoured that V Hotels can work in the beautiful land of Wutai."

They began discussions, but Vincent could not shake off the small thought in his mind – a small thought that questioned the depth of his sincerity.

* * *

Shimotsuki was the festival that citizens of Wutai celebrate in the month of November, marking the beginning of winter. "Doesn't that mean that Wutai celebrates something every month?" asked Vincent to Yuffie.

She chuckled. "Yeah." She gestured at the large blue tents set up in the village centre. "I know it looks crazy to have events every month, but it's not as bad as it looks." Vincent nodded, watching people of different ages running back and forth, carrying boxes, joking and laughing with each other. "The Shimotsuki family plans and organizes their individual festivals, but the other families would help too."

Not long after, the topic about the communications tower was brought up. "Some kiddos from the Minazuki family were unhappy," explained Yuffie, stuffing the last of her riceball into her mouth ungracefully. With her mouth full, Vincent found it harder to understand her accent. "Something like using some kind of water art in the festival, since the symbol of Minazuki family was water…" Yuffie swallowed. "You know these families… they are quite protective about their symbols."

She shrugged as though tiffs between families were something common, something that anyone should understand. Vincent wondered if these families had such disagreements every month, since Wutai celebrates each family each month. It was not a good time to interrupt Yuffie, so he allowed her to finish.

"So following this unhappiness, one of the Minazuki kids went to um… break? Break the communication tower?" Yuffie glanced at Vincent for affirmation.

"Break…" He frowned. "You mean to tamper with it?"

"Yeah, yeah, something like that," she said with a wave of her hand. "They did that to the communications tower," Yuffie continued, kicking a pebble away as she walked. "So that the Shimotsuki family was not able to contact their suppliers from Rocket Town. Dad was furious when the truth came to light. I mean," she shrugged. "You were in our country, contactless, for so many days."

Vincent did not reply. Even though he was unable to settle his business quickly, he had a good time in Wutai in return. To be more precise, Vincent actually _grew fond_ of the exotic country. He adored the majestic mountains that he wakes up to every morning, the tumbling waterfalls that lead to cool, refreshing waters, and the long stretch of beach facing the endless sea.

More importantly, he enjoyed the warmth and sincerity from the people in the village. People who knew of him as the hotel tycoon but still treated him like a family friend. People who bothered to talk to him so that they could know him better, rather than to murmur and gossip behind his back. Heck, even Godo, the chief of Wutai, could talk to him much better than some of his relatives back home. All of these, he could not have known or experienced, if not for Yuffie.

_I'd better thank her later tonight, _he reminded himself. _She was a pretty good guide, after all._

Yes, Vincent had come to realise that, whether he admitted it or not, he liked Wutai. It was a place like nothing he had ever seen or been to before. While the rest of Gaia was frantically trying to catch up with the metropolitan Midgar, Wutai kept to its roots and culture.

Vincent did not want that to change that. That was why he felt horrible during the discussions with Godo.

Still, Vincent would not let Yuffie or Godo know how true these feelings were. No, he was a businessman from Midgar on a business trip. He was not some soul-searching vagabond. If he wants to see change in V Hotels, he must be ready to see change in Wutai. He had to keep these feelings to himself and not let them affect his business. There was no need for him to include people in his issues. Wait, he did not even have issu-

"Hey," called Yuffie. Vincent looked up and saw that she was already a short distance in front of him – he had stopped walking all of a sudden. "Are you okay?" She asked. Vincent nodded his head to reassure her.

_No, I have to stick to my plan. _Vincent decided.

"Well, let's go," she beckoned. "The Shimotsuki family are excited to know that the Midgar man is helping with their festival." She shrugged. "Can't let their excitement go to waste, can we?"

Hiding the rest of his emotions, Vincent quickened his pace towards Yuffie. "We can't waste their excitement," he echoed with a small smile.

_No matter what. I cannot miss this opportunity, or else I will lose my standing in V Hotels too._

* * *

I'm very sorry that my welcome-back first chapter had to be so short. The brain juice is still a little dry so it needs some cranking up before I can get back to work, yo?

With this chapter… I had to hack half the first part away… because… because… seriously? There are so many loopholes in this story that I'm pretty upset. I didn't even notice them until I reread the chapters so… _(sighs)_ that explains the long long delay in my chapter update. No, I'm half joking. I'm away for such a long time because I was on hiatus and yes… because I didn't check my loopholes carefully.

I'll be honest with you. You are reading the latest chapter of "The Only Exception". Whatever that will happen next is just as unknown to me as it is to you! Nah, it's not _that_ true. I had the idea in my head for the longest time but I just need to frame it up nicely as a chapter. For that to happen, more time for me to work my magic. More like, frantically jumping around and getting my brains to work again. That also means that I don't know when my next chapter will be ready.

If you are wondering about the symbols of the twelve tribal families, I just came up with it on the fly. Basically I used the traditional names of the twelve months in the Japanese calendar and used my imagination.


	17. Shimotsuki

**The Only Exception**

**Story 3 – Vincent **

**Chapter 17 – Shimotsuki**

At night, the village was in full swing. Vincent was very impressed with the festival – food, drinks, bonfires and dancing were all around him.

"Vincent!"

As he turned around, Yuffie was walking towards him in her traditional costume of a white robe with blue and gold threads. It was not the usual tunic and bermudas that she wore, so it was a pleasant surprise to Vincent.

"If I had known that there was a dress code…"

Yuffie laughed. "I know you are just joking, Vincent." She smoothened her robe. "If you want I could always lend you my robes…" Vincent shook his head. "Thought so. Come on," she said, grabbing his arm. Vincent blinked at the sudden contact. "Lots to see, lots to eat!"

As they walked around, Yuffie chattered on about various things around them. Even though the festivals were a month apart, there were things that made each tribe distinct. Cuisine, traditional craft and performances were some of the things that each tribe had something different from the other tribe.

"Technically, you could say that over the years, we sort of created twelve kinds of culture in our small village." Yuffie grinned sheepishly. "It may sound excessive and honestly, some of the families serve food so similar I would not have noticed the difference myself. However, it has been our culture to accept our similarities and differences graciously."

"So all this is nothing new, isn't it?"

Understanding Vincent's unasked question, Yuffie answered, "Yeah. Festivals in Midgar, or any other country, may be something huge. To us, it was just a monthly opportunity to share our food with our neighbours."

When they turned around a corner, they were met with a hearty fire in the middle of the village square. Hundreds of people gathered around the fire, dancing and singing. Suddenly, happy faces that Vincent did not recognize surrounded him, chattering on rapidly in Wutaian. He blinked at their excitement, not knowing what to do.

"They are asking you to go try the Shimotsuki specialty cuisine," said Yuffie beside him. He noticed a small smile tugged at the corners of her lips. "You should. It's one of a kind Wutai food." He shrugged and followed the excited villagers towards the grilling pit.

It turned out to be grilled lizard, sprawled and skewered on by a stick and smeared with something red and sticky. Vincent regretted his decision immediately but did not back away. He would not allow Yuffie the pleasure of seeing him balk at the sight of eating lizards.

"You took that really well, huh?" said Yuffie when Vincent finished the skewered lizard which, Vincent thought to himself, tasted better than it looked. "Maybe you should join us and be a resident here instead of being the Midgar man."

Vincent chuckled softly to himself. He doubted that he could ever look like one of them. "I don't think Wutai-ness would fit me," he said lightly.

"Hmm… Maybe you're right."

Yuffie spoke with a smile, but her tone was light and distant. She was unusually more reserved today – it was not difficult to tell. Vincent had an idea why she was upset, but he dared not voice his concerns to her. _If she has a problem and she wants to tell me, she would,_ Vincent reasoned with himself. _She's not the sort that would keep her problems to herself._

Since when did he claim to know so much about Yuffie anyway?

"Hold on," said Yuffie with a light touch on his hand. Again, Vincent noticed the contact but said nothing. "I'll be back," she grinned and took off, her short hair bouncing as she did.

Vincent wandered around the area, observing the people interacting with one another. Men cajoling and nudging each other, children running around the frosty ground and women keeping their faces warm with mugs of hot tea. The sight warmed his heart and it surprised him. Then again, it should not surprise him. Vincent knew for quite some time that…

His thoughts paused as he spotted an old lady sitting there. Usually, Vincent paid little attention to old ladies and their eccentric manners. This lady looked different. She looked old enough to be his mother, but she had a calm, almost regal composure. He was sure that he had never seen the old lady before. Feeling slightly awkward, he dipped his head towards her in respect.

The old lady raised a slender arm and beckoned him over. Vincent hesitated, but curiosity got the better of him and he walked over. The fire cast shadows on her face, but gradually her face was clear as he walked closer.

"Hello," he tried with whatever Wutaian that he had picked up in the five days. Upon closer look, Vincent saw her crowning white hair – she was a lot older than he thought. Her face crinkled at the corners of her eyes, but they were bright with awareness. Vincent blinked at the mark of powder on her forehead – a tilaka.

"Midgar man," greeted the old lady, in the Midgarian that he was more familiar with. "You like Wutai?"

So she had more exposure to Midgarian than the average villager. He nodded. "I do."

The old lady smiled and rocked herself back and forth. The shadows flickered across her lined face. There was silence between them, but Vincent was comfortable with it. "I too like Wutai. I think Wutai beautiful."

"It is," answered Vincent softly before he knew it.

"Midgar man, see," the old lady said, grabbing his arm and pointing to the distance. "Wutai people love Da Chao. Da Chao god." Vincent nodded politely in response. "Wutai no Da Chao, no god. No Da Chao, no Wutai."

"Wait, what?" asked Vincent. That sounded almost like a tongue twister.

She sighed. "Midgar man, make hotel in Wutai. Da Chao Mountain. Inside. No," she punctuated as though the burden of Vincent's expansion was causing her physical pain. "Wutai not happy."

Immediately, Vincent knew what the old lady wanted. He gently pushed her hand away from his arm. "I'm sorry, lady," he said. "But that… I cannot."

The old lady gazed at Vincent, unfazed by his refusal. "My son…"

_Her son? _He thought.

"He, you are same." She placed two fingers together. "My son love Wutai. You…" She reached for his face, her knobbly hands patting the edges of Vincent's eyes. "Eyes. The same love. Love Wutai."

Vincent understood her fragmented speech and it unsettled him.

Luckily, he did not need to converse any longer. Someone shouted his name and he gratefully turned to see Yuffie running towards him. Upon seeing the old lady, Yuffie started a little. To his surprise, she bowed respectfully towards the old lady, who nodded serenely. They spoke to each other briefly, with Yuffie laughing sheepishly in response.

"Let's go," she said to Vincent. "Got something to show you."

He nodded to Yuffie. "Wait." As he turned to the old lady, he bowed. "Thank you. I really do love Wutai," he said sincerely. He hoped that the old woman would understand that, despite his plans to build a hotel in sacred Wutai.

They walked away briskly. Vincent resisted the urge to turn back for a second glance at the mysterious lady. Yuffie wordlessly held out a skewered meatball for Vincent. Something more normal-looking than lizards. Vincent would never admit it, but he accepted her offering with much gratefulness.

* * *

It had been twenty minutes since they began their trek up the mountainous path of the Da Chao Mountain. Already Vincent could feel his breath becoming ragged and short. Tonight, Yuffie's route seemed different. His thoughts were confirmed when at one point, she turned and crouched under a brush of leaves and beckoned him to follow. As he did so, he noticed the path was not beaten and worn – a path that was not common to many people.

Yuffie continued to trek up this new path, unconcerned by the lack of markings or trails. Vincent could not spot anything that could possibly help Yuffie track her goings in the dense forest. He decided to blindly allow Yuffie to lead him. If he were to begin tourism here in Wutai, there would only be so much that he could do. He had to admit, only the natives would know better to the secrets of Wutai.

"Perhaps… you could… tell me why we are here… when the Shimotsuki festival… is going on below," commented Vincent calmly. Well, as calmly as he could. He would not let this cheeky lady know that he was out of breath after twenty minutes of uphill trekking.

"Oh, don't be impatient," Yuffie replied. She sounded just as energetic as she did when she found him talking to the old lady. Again, only something Wutai natives would possess, unlike the city people whom Vincent was comparing to. "I want to show you something and we are almost there." She turned around and gave Vincent a smug look. "Or are you tired already?"

_Dang it_, thought Vincent. _She's sharp as ever._ He shook his head and gestured the young woman to continue.

Her "almost there" led Vincent to trudge along the trail for another ten more minutes. Vincent had the vague understanding that they were heading west. He looked around at his surroundings. If he was making plans to build his resort almost thirty minutes away from the village centre… maybe it was not a good idea after all.

_Or maybe some easy transportation is in order, _he argued inside.

"So uh… How do you know Lady Narami?" asked Yuffie innocently. "Um… you know… the old lady back at the festival."

Vincent did not answer immediately. _Lady Narami… _The name did not sound familiar to him, even though the look of the old lady reminded him of something… or someone. "I'm not sure… She seemed familiar." He glanced at her. "I was surprised that you would show such respect towards her. I don't see you doing that to the other villagers who are much older than you."

"Hmm," she hummed, but did not offer any explanation. "So uh… What did you talk about?"

"Well, it was not easy to explain." The man scratched his head a little. "She asked if I liked Wutai… And talked about mountains and gods… And she talked about her son."

She gave a grim smile. "You were speaking to Lady Narami, the previous head of the Kannadzuki… The previous chief of Wutai." Seeing that she wasn't going to get a more dramatic response from Vincent, she continued, "She was the chief of the village and would have continued to be, if not for the fact that…"

"What?"

"Her only son was gone. With no successors, there was no way the Kannadzuki could continue. My family took over shortly after and it has been so since then."

"Gone… did the son die?"

The young lady shook her head. "He fell in love with a woman from another family. Lady Narami did not approve of the couple. They even had a baby without her knowledge…" She made a face, a sign that told Vincent that having a baby out of wedlock was not socially acceptable in Wutai. "Things got really bad. It was like a really bad drama with an ugly ending. In the end, the couple ran."

"You mean they eloped?"

Yuffie nodded. "No one knows where they are now." She blinked her big eyes at the realization of what Vincent knew now. "Shhh!" She pressed her finger to her lips at Vincent. "By the way, no one knows about this. Only the elders of the tribes… and me. Don't tell anyone, okay?" She looked around furtively, as if she could spot any eavesdroppers in the thick foliage around them.

To be honest, Vincent doubted that there was anyone else in this deserted mountain. Still, he promised. "Everyone has their secrets. It's not my position to share the matters of others."

"Oh?" teased Yuffie. "So does big dashing hotel owner have any darks secrets of his own?"

To that question, Vincent kept quiet.

* * *

Oh, mysterious old lady out of nowhere! Also, is it me or are all my stories triggered by some kind of festival? How original of me. _*shaking my head*_

Thank you for being so patient with me while I churn this out painfully. No, writing is not a pain. But it is a pain trying to get it done to my satisfaction. I'm really easing back into writing really slowly, huh? Two months since my last update and still at a measly 2000 words for one chapter. You know what they say - baby steps.

Please review if you like the stories. It makes my day extra great!


	18. Lumina Way

**The Only Exception**

Thank you for being so patient for the last few months. Chapter 18 is finally here.

**Story 3 – Vincent**

**Chapter 18 – Lumina Way**

Yuffie wisely stopped asking questions after Vincent's silence. Vincent, likewise, did not talk to her much. He was thinking about Lady Narami and what she had said to him.

"Here we are," Yuffie's voice interrupted his thoughts.

The sight that met Vincent was beyond his expectations. From the thick foliage earlier, they emerged to a field at the bottom of a valley. Flanked by dark grey mountains, the field was covered entirely with specks of silver.

_No,_ thought Vincent. _Not silver, white. The moonlight… _

The soft light gave the flowers a silvery sheen. How it was possible, Vincent could not figure out. Standing next to him, Yuffie was grinning from ear to ear. "Like it?" she asked.

More like, he was blown away by the sight. However, it did not show on his face. "What is this place?" He asked. He wondered if his dry voice may have given away some clue to his emotions, if Yuffie was sharp enough.

Yuffie was bouncing on the balls of her feet. "A place that requires super hard planning just so that I can bring you here."

Vincent did not fully understand what she meant, but he was not really paying attention anyway. His gaze was fixated on the iridescent flowers. He walked closer to them slowly, as though one wrong step could end this illusion. "What flowers are these?"

At his question, he sensed Yuffie puffing up in pride. "Ha! I knew you would ask. For this purpose, I even did you the favour to look for the name of this flower." She walked towards him until she was standing by his side. "There is no name in the Midgarian language. This is a flower native to Wutai, so it only has its Wutaian name – Lumina.

"It blooms daily, but releases some kind of… um… water?" She gestured the centre of the flower, which Vincent assumed was the nectar. "The water will ooze and coat the petals of the flowers, which will react to the moonlight… giving it that sparkle that you see now." She turned to look at the flowers, proud of her decent explanation. "Only in a full moon though," she added.

_Ah, that explains the shininess of the flowers, _thought Vincent.

"… Well, Yuffie, you are a good tour guide," he said. Admitting that much would give his little host some pleasure for her efforts. "I've never seen anything like it."

"… Well, Vincent, I think I am a good guide too," she admitted unabashedly.

Vincent hid a chuckle. He reckoned that she was one of the few people that he knew who could boast about themselves but not sound truly arrogant. He shook his head in mock disgust. "Are these flowers common in Wutai?" he asked.

"They grow everywhere across the mountains but this is the nearest field with so many Lumina. I call this place 'Lumina Way'." She stretched her hands out. "They kinda look like the Milky Way, huh?"

Vincent felt that the name was aptly given. The field of Lumina made Emerald Hill, the top night-view spot in Midgar, look like a mash of tacky neon lights. He could not imagine how blown away the city people would be if they were to encounter this place. "You hardly see flowers in Midgar," he commented softly.

"Yeah, you've mentioned that before," Yuffie said with a grin. "So I say you should enjoy this as much as you can." She beckoned Vincent to follow her up a small, grassy cliff overlooking the field of Lumina. "Here," she said, patting the soft green grass when she sat. "The ground is dry."

The two of them stared at the field of glowing flowers in comfortable silence. From a higher viewpoint, Vincent saw the field of flowers similar to the city lights of Midgar. The beautiful city lights was a daily sight for Vincent from his apartment window. However, he felt something different tonight. The flowers that shimmered exuded a gentleness that Vincent had never felt… had not felt in a long time. Perhaps it was because someone was with him. Someone to share this moment with.

_It has been a while since I did something like this, _pondered Vincent. _It wasn't too bad, I guess. Lucrecia… She used to pester me to bring her to Emerald Hill. If only…_

_If only she could see this now._

Beside him, his little tour guide looked at him curiously. "What are you thinking about?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Well, thanks for bringing me here, Yuffie," he said, quickly changing the subject before she became more suspicious.

Yuffie blinked in surprise. "Wow." She scratched her head sheepishly. "Vincent actually saying thanks." She shook her head, chuckling. "I didn't think that the oh-I'm-so-cool-and-famous Vincent Valentine would actually be grateful for this," she explained, spreading her hands at the flowers.

The man narrowed his eyes. "I'm not like that, certainly not rude. I mean, I have to admit, you have done a lot to show me around Wutai."

"Oh? Now he's acknowledging my efforts? Twice?" She thumped her chest. "You sure are different tonight, Mr Valentine." She broke into a grin. "Glad that you liked it. Here," she said, producing a flask and two cups from her satchel. "Pops wanted you to try our famous nectarine juice, but I kept forgetting to buy them."

"Was that why you left me alone? In the middle of a festival of village that I was foreign to?"

"Hey!" She protested, punching his arm lightly. "To be fair, you looked quite at home, talking to the villagers and even Lady Narami." She jiggled the cup of nectarine in front of Vincent. "Here, take it."

Vincent took the cup from her hands, feeling the warmth of the drink with his cold hands. "Nectarine…" He echoed. "Isn't that peach?"

"Technically, peach and plum." Yuffie's mouth twitched a little, a conversation quirk he recently noticed that she liked to do. It was something very Yuffie-like.

Looking over a smattering of silver flowers that reflected the multitude of stars above, Vincent held the hot drink in his hands, wondering how often did he have a moment before his eyes as magical as this. Perhaps it was because of the majestic sight. Perhaps because he had someone to share this moment with, even if it was a person such as Yuffie.

"This place is amazing," said Vincent again. He made a mental note to himself, but said aloud, "It'll be one of the highlights when people visit Wutai."

Yuffie blinked at Vincent. And again. When she replied, her tone was upset and angered. "Are you trying to-" She broke off mid-sentence and stared at Vincent. He looked at her, surprised at her angry outburst. "You... You can't possibly..." She shook her head. "Don't you know about this place?"

Even before she said those words, the horrible feeling in his heart grew to real suspicion.

"I don't know what you expected me to know," Vincent said, though his suspicions were abound.

Yuffie sighed loudly. "I don't blame you. Many people know that this is a field of Lumina. But they don't know that there are so many of them here. It's kind of disgusting that my father did not tell you, but well..." Choosing not to continue that sentence, she sighed instead and gave him a sad smile. "This is the future location for V Hotels." There was a sick feeling in Vincent's guts, and it was not because of the skewered lizards. "You are building your concrete over my most beloved spot in the whole island."

Her voice trembled.

Silence fell between them. Vincent did not know what to do. He knew that apologising would not help her - he had his plans and ambitions too.

"You... Was this your secret place, or something?" asked Vincent softly.

The young woman next to him curled up, hugging her knees. "A few of us know of the place, but I guess no one bothered to come all the way out here to be alone. So I guess you could say that it was my private space." She sniffled and rubbed her nose. Vincent waited patiently for her to continue, awkward... unsure...

Helpless.

The last time he felt this helpless was... Well, not too long ago.

_Leave the reminiscence for later. _He quickly kept his feelings away, not because he had to. No, he was not facing a board of executives, rather to pounce on the slightest hint of weakness. _Yuffie's feelings are more important right now._ He found himself thinking.

Yuffie was not waiting for his reply. "Can I tell you a secret?" She asked him with a cheeky grin. Vincent shrugged, though he was curious to hear. "You know, before you came to Wutai... Even when I found out that you were Mr Valentine, I..." She laughed nervously. "I really hated you."

To be honest, if Yuffie did not tell him about this, Vincent would never have guessed. She was truly the perfect host, masking her emotions just as well as Vincent could. "I don't blame you for feeling that way," answered Vincent calmly. "I could not tell, in case you were wondering."

"Of course you could not tell!" She laughed girlishly. "I am Yuffie Kisaragi, daughter of Godo and White Rose of Wutai!" said Yuffie, jabbing a thumb at her chest proudly. "I have been entertaining visitors for as long as I can remember. Surely I can keep my emotions in check and be a pleasant host." The knowing look that she gave Vincent was subtle. "You are not the only person who can hide agendas," she remarked lightly.

Okay, so maybe she could hide her emotions better than Vincent.

A small flush of embarrassment washed over him as he realised that she knew about his efforts to win their approval. "I wasn't aware-"

"You were fine," said Yuffie. "You were being overly sickly with your praises and forced participation, that's all."

"It wasn't like that all the time," blurted Vincent in annoyance before he could stop himself. Yuffie's grin widened. He groaned softly and lifted his hands up in surrender. "I'm sorry if I had not been the best-"

Yuffie waved his apology lightly. "I am also to blame for those feelings. I mean… Initially, I disliked your arrival. I… I could not bear to think of entertaining the man who was going to take away this piece of heaven from me. To make things worse, you even tried to act all interested and friendly. You know, following me around and agreeing to everything I suggest, just because I'm Godo's daughter."

Vincent felt his face burn slightly at the naked truth that she was revealing. "Again, I apologise about that. I'm really not-"

"Don't sweat the small stuff, Vincent," she chuckled. "Besides, you are right. You are really not like that. I admit, bringing you around Wutai eventually turned out a lot more fun than I thought." She stretched in front of her. "Somewhere in the week I..." she chuckled softly to herself. "I thought to myself that you weren't such a bad guy after all. After seeing how much the children liked you."

Yet, another part of Vincent that haunted him.

Vincent hid a look of despair. When would it all end? Would there be a time where people would not care for his personal life? Rather, would there be a time where he could speak of his wounds without grimace? There was so much that he had carried over the last two years. People speaking about him in hushed tones and speaking to him with fake smiles plastered over their faces. He was tired of people digging up every dirty secret he could have. Yet, he wished that he did not have to keep his life to himself. The ache in his heart confirmed it. Vincent wanted – needed – someone to share his pain with.

He blinked. Yuffie had stopped talking and she was looking at him in concern. Vincent gave a small smile and apologised for spacing out. Yuffie's expression showed it all that she understood Vincent's daze. He never needed to explain.

"Well, as I said just now…" she sounded a little squeaky, like she was bracing herself for something embarrassing. "I realised that you are actually not too bad." She turned to Vincent and smiled sincerely. "If it's you… I'm okay." She said seriously, a tinge of embarrassment colouring her cheeks. "I trust in you. That you will not lose Wutai. You will take care of Wutai's future."

There was a look in her eyes that was different from the various expressions that Vincent had seen in his young guide. Not the usual cheeky glint in her eyes, or the hard stare that she would give when Vincent was not cooperative enough, or the carefree sparkle whenever she threw back her head to laugh. Her eyes were full of emotion, as if she had surrendered a part of her to him.

_Of course it's a part of her,_ Vincent told himself quickly before his thoughts drifted further. _Wutai is her home. Of course she would put all her hope in this. In me._

"I hope I'm not scaring you with my sudden rambling," she apologised suddenly.

The man scratched his head a little. "What makes you think that I'll be scared by what you say anymore?" Vincent could not help but tease the young woman.

Yuffie punched his arm lightly. "I'm serious here!" she said, smiling. "How I feel about Wutai… It's the first time I have talked about it to anyone... I guess that I look so easygoing that no one expected me to feel a fierce loyalty towards Wutai. You… You are the first person I've talked to about this."

She looked at Vincent sincerely. There was something in her eyes - trust and ... much more. Vincent tried not to look at her eyes longer than he should. For some reason, he was flustered. Since when did the frosty air turn so warm? Was there something in the nectarine drink? He knew that it was neither of these.

"Thank you," he said firmly. "I won't let you be disappointed." His firm assurance was also a silent plea to the gods above to end this emotionally tense moment between them. Something between them was not usual, almost… awkward. What surprised Vincent was that… he did not dislike it.

She shrugged and Vincent almost sighed in relief. _That felt weird earlier, _he thought to himself.

"No more about me, then," said Yuffie. She took another sip from the nectarine. "What about you?" She almost bounced in her seat. "I never thought that Mr Valentine would be a man so interested in flowers. What are you? A florist at the sidelines?" She joked.

Finally, Vincent sighed. He doubted Yuffie would let him run away from this question. Besides, he did not feel like running away from questions anymore. Not after Yuffie shared something deep in her heart. "Lucrecia…" He mumbled. "My wife… she loved flowers. Especially roses. She would often tell me about them."

Yuffie's reaction was an unnatural silence, but it happened briefly. "You have a wife?" She questioned sharply, almost demandingly.

The man too, stared at Yuffie for a moment. "Former… Former wife," he corrected her… himself.

"Oh. Oh." Was that a sigh coming from Yuffie? "Marriage ain't as fun as I was told, I guess…"

It was not a question. There was also no need to answer her or correct her mistake. Vincent kept quiet, glad that Yuffie did not probe further. He usually did not like sharing his personal life publicly; he could not think of many in his position who enjoyed strangers knowing every detail of his life. Things were made worse when the news of his marriage made it to the Midgar tabloids. Now that he was in Wutai, his past kept from the prying eyes of the public, he was not at all enthusiastic about reliving his past.

But the truth was, keeping quiet was not going to ease the conversation a single bit. As with many things in his life too. Keeping quiet and low profile never helped him manage what he went through.

_If it is Yuffie listening, then… I don't mind telling her. _Vincent realised with a bit of surprise. He chuckled to himself. _Look at me, now confiding myself to a little girl. How did it turn out like that?_

Perhaps it was some divine intervention, telling Vincent that it was time. Time for what, he was not too sure. Maybe he knew what it was but he was afraid to admit it.

"Say, Yuffie… Do you want to hear a story?"

The young woman looked at him, her big brown eyes thoughtful at his invitation. Vincent half-expected her to bounce around being excited and annoying, but she did none of the sort. After some time, she answered, a little softly, "Only if you want to share it with me."

* * *

Dear readers, thank you for being with me and waiting for my next update. I understand that you may be frustrated at the beginning of the chapter (because I have disappeared for months), and you are extremely frustrated now (because I left you hanging!).

I cannot guarantee when the next update would be (I'm guessing in mid December). The chapter had been sitting in my computer since July, I believe. However, life had been draining my energy away. Thank goodness that somehow, I could get myself to write tonight. Yep, this chapter was literally just completed. Please forgive me if mistakes are abound.

Hope to see you again! Please don't give up on me. I want to finish this story.


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